Stephanie says

I had four hours to wait at Puerto Vallarta airport, 6000 pesos in my pocket, and some very nice leather goods shops to browse.  So I shopped for a purse. I ended up with this beautiful specimen to add to my collection.  For a whopping $400. Partly because foreign money doesn't seem quite real.  And also because I really, really wanted to avoid going through the currency exchange.

YONCALLA — As soon as the van pulled in the driveway, people would come outside to greet Erin Helgren and Kelly Campbell.  Helgren, site liaison for Children’s Institute Early Works, and Campbell, student services coordinator for Yoncalla School District, have been making deliveries to families in the Yoncalla School District since the official start of the summer. The deliveries include food, books and family activities. When schools closed in March amid the coronavirus pandemic, Yoncalla was one of many school districts that came to students’ homes to deliver daily meals. However, it also became clear that the school district wouldn’t be able to continue that throughout the summer due to budget constraints. The school district received several grants and donations that allowed it to continue to provide meals to families with children from birth to 18 years old twice a week. It partnered with a local nursery and Head Start program to get in contact with the younges...

As part of Yoncalla summer reading program, the Yoncalla Public Library is assembling a weekly activity package for about 50 families.   Tuesday’s delivery contained directions and supplies to construct a marble track.   From a paper sack of supplies to a leap of imagination! From a paper sack of supplies to a leap of imagination! The library partnered with Yoncalla Schools for delivery.  Student meals are delivered twice weekly, with ingredients for breakfast and lunch.  Erin Helgren of Childrens Institute took on the complex task of figuring out USDA guidelines with regard to protein needs, etc. by age group for about 150 students, then converting that into a grocery list of nutritious ingredients; followed by purchasing the groceries; hiring staff to pack boxes then deliver those food boxes.    A huge undertaking that's getting smoother by the week!

It’s been a remarkable day.   Tyler called with a 1910 Craftsman house in Corvallis, my absolute favorite house style, well until Frank Lloyd Wright.   Erin stopped by and said she wanted to be clear, she wants to buy this house. Jeanne pitched the idea of me writing a screenplay from her friend’s story that I recently read. Then there’s my recurring dream.    A recurring moving dream I’ve had for months recently.   I’ve out, the house is vacant. I take a last walk-through, reliving fond memories. I spot my mother’s blond-dyed mahogany piano standing proud in an otherwise empty room.  Argggh. Is that a weird dream?

We've had a very wet spring this year resulting in a burgeoning snail population.  Said snails are feasting on my tender flower starts so I search them out and stomp them into oblivion.  I found some large ones yesterday which led to an idea to harvest the little pests.  Into escargot.  They eat my plants and I eat them! I fondly recall a dinner with friends aboard a floating restaurant in the bay off Lahaina.  It was a magical evening.  We had escargot for starters.  The texture reminded me of scallops, a juicy pop of flavor.

Serves 3 I bought a spiralizer attachment for my Kitchen Aid and it works like a champ.  I'll try out the shave blade next for scalloped celeriac root. Ingredients for above: 1 quart chicken broth 3 cloves minced garlic 1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped juice of half lemon handful of chopped parsley 4 scallions sliced 15 meatballs (I used frozen) 2 zucchini zoodled Heat broth on rangetop.  Add garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and meatballs, pinch of black pepper and heat until almost boiling.  Turn down temperature.  Add parsley, scallions and zoodles.  Cook for five minutes.  Serve. 

Cabbage Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing        Cook eggs.   Bon Appetit recently a sure-fire method for jammy hard-boiled eggs using a steamer basket.  I've got a small bamboo one that works perfectly in a small frying pan.  Pour water in the base of pan, place on stove-top over high heat.  Once water boils add steamer basket (with eggs).  When water boils again, set timer for eight minutes. Prepare an ice bath for the eggs.  Place cooked eggs in the water bath for five minutes.  The shells are easy to remove following the ice bath   Set aside. Hot Bacon Dressing 4 slices bacon, diced 2 TBL chopped onion 2 TBL vinegar 1 - 2 Tbl sugar substitute 3 cups coarsely shredded cabbage or other torn greens In skillet cook bacon until crisp.  Drain off excess bacon fat.  Add onion, vinegar & sweetener to pan.  Heat through.  Pour over cabbage.  Toss to coat an...