Dressing in the dark

This morning around 6:45 I got dressed quickly to take Jack for his morning walk.

Ooops! It wasn't until I got halfway down the street that I realized I was wearing two different shoes!

Sun lover

This little lizard is enjoying the afternoon sun in our garden.

Spoiled

Since our son came home, [The Man I Love] and I have been the beneficiaries of his enthusiasm for cooking. Some of it was timing - we were both down with bad colds when he arrived, so he kindly fed us with delicious meals when, if we'd been on our own, we'd have been eating chicken noodle soup from cans.

But he's also just interested in cooking. He's been using fresh ingredients found at our local farmers' markets, which are inspiring to any creative cook. So when I get home from a long day at work, I find him in the kitchen, with the evening's menu planned and dinner on the stove.

Really, though, c'mon.....

Stuffed squash blossoms AGAIN?

Fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with herbed goat cheese, baby kale salad with walnuts and Asian pear.

I'm a lucky Mom.

No cows allowed

Not an inflatable cow!

My job can sometimes be funny. I just got off the phone with a guy who wanted to put three giant inflatable cows on the public beach as a promotion for milk.

I had to tell him this wouldn't be allowed for multiple reasons - municipal code prohibits inflatables in public parks and beaches; the beach's use guidelines prohibit events where the main purpose is promotional; and probably a couple of others I didn't look up.

But it was a heckuva conversation to have, discussing which county, state, or local municipality might allow displays of giant inflatable cows. Whoever said being a petty bureaucrat would be boring?

Breakfast at Bob's

It's nice to have a daily routine, and when you change jobs - and work locations - it takes a little while to get into the groove.

On my new commute, I pass a neighborhood grocery store on Ocean Park Boulevard, Bob's Market, and it's become a good place to stop on my way in if I need something to augment the lunch I packed at home.

It's a cheerful place, with brightly colored coin-operated ride toys at the front door. Tom the cat on a motorcycle! While I never see anyone riding them, they look cute. Kids from the nearby middle school come here in the afternoon for snacks.

They have a good sandwich counter, nice produce section, and a case with pre-packaged healthy lunch things like quinoa salads, wraps and sushi.  I haven't ordered a sandwich yet, but maybe some morning I'll make the time.

What I usually do is grab something for breakfast. I bought a box of granola that I keep in my desk drawer, and swing by Bob's for a container of yogurt or some juice. 

At 7:30 in the morning, the place is humming with workers stocking the shelves and the deli-men preparing for a later rush of customers. The cashiers are sweet and friendly. It's a good thing, breakfast at Bob's.

Cold comfort

Cold noodle soup - Dongchimi gooksu

Our southern California climate can be unpredictable. One week it can be cold, and the next a hot wind blows in from the desert and temperatures rise. Though the marine air tempers the heat by beach, over the mountains in the Valley it can be 90 degrees in March.

Such dry heat can sap the appetite. When the Santa Anas blow, we need something cool and refreshing to nourish us.

Cold noodle soups and salads are a staple of Korean cuisine, and there is a surprising variety of different tastes and styles, ranging from smooth and creamy to intense and spicy. Here's a sampling of good dishes to help beat the heat.

Ugly orange

What is it?

These ugly, top-knotted wrinkly lumps are Sumo oranges. A cross between Satsumas and ordinary oranges, the variety was developed in Japan and became very popular in that country and in Korea, where they are often given as gifts.

We found these in a Koreatown supermarket, and had to try them.

Their funny, crinkled skins peel like a charm and the fruit inside is candy-sweet!

So get ugly!

Pizza, anyone?

Mmmmm! Delicious looking, huh? Slices of....what's that, Canadian bacon, maybe?

No, this is a creation our son made the day I came home with my fresh market box of vegetables, including some beautiful fat red radishes.

He pickled the radishes, in a sweet-sour brine. Then he blended some cotija cheese with a little buttermilk. This is a pickled radish, caper, and cotija-buttermilk pizza!

Surprisingly beautiful and delicious.

What lies beneath

Our long septic tank nightmare continues. The concrete that the main tank is constructed of is so old it's crumbling. Felipe has lined it with new concrete, and has put in a filter that will keep the feed to the leach tanks clean. He is also swapping out the old, too-narrow manhole for a larger, up-to-code one.

After that, he will replace the D-box that feeds to the leach tanks. There are four deep pits in our back yard; the stones of the patio have been lifted up. We've turned off the sprinklers for this area, so the roses are not being watered. That and the fact that their roots are exposed now will probably kill them.

We'll wait till it's all done, then figure out what to do with the garden.