OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off

Saturday was the 30th annual OB Street fair and chili cook off. As you can see from the slide show, there was a good turnout this year.



This year's Ocean Beach Street Fair featured five stages of non-stop music, an artists alley, a community mural project, a bunch of kid's stuff, a beach-side beer garden & liquorland, tons of crafts booths, a skateboard exhibition, a climbing wall, and a raffle (I hope we win!), something for everyone. I look forward to this event every year, and this year did not disappoint!

One highlight of the day was the chili cook-off, a community tradition, this is what it is all about. Shannon, Mark and I shared a tasting, which basically means we got 25 samples of each prized recipe, and we collectively voted which one was best. We each got just enough of a taste to form an opinion, and we made notes as we tried each one. Well, we tried most of them. Some of the lines were crazy long, and Shannon is right, you can only taste so much chili before it all starts tasting the same. We certainly tried a variety, some really boring, some undercooked, overcooked, and some kick ass good stuff. And loved it all!

We ran into and hung out with lots of good friends and heard some great music. We saw a friends band that covers Ramones songs at Winston's, we just missed the Chi Club, but we caught part of Superunloader from a private party on top of South Beach, that was pretty sweet. We also had cocktails and jello shooters on the Sunshine rooftop, more cocktails at Tony's, lunch and more cocktails at the Blue Parrot, and maybe a few other stops.....

Somehow, at the end of a glorious and near perfect day, we dismally discovered that 2 pairs of sunglasses, the keys to my car, the car alarm and the house keys had mysteriously disappeared.

I've never lost any thing in my life, why not start by losing something major? Let's hope this is not a trend.

The obvious thing to do is to re-trace your steps, so that's what we did all day Sunday. We did find 1 pair of sunglasses, but keys, to no avail. So, it looks like calls to a locksmith, the screen replacement co., AAA, a tow company and the dealership are all in my forecast....um, when can I start blaming this stuff on old age???

Vickie's Birthday Party

We had so much fun at my cousin's 40th birthday party last weekend. They have a fabulous house out in east county which is perfect for hosting such events. Their yard includes an awesome swimming pool and jacuzzi, basketball court, horseshoes, a mini putting green, billiards, not to mention a great place for the band to play and plenty of space for dancing. Even if the weather was less than perfect, a great time was had by all.

The live entertainment of the day was local sensation and sure to keep going places, Da Bears, a great local, young and extremely talented band. Keep an eye out for these guys.

Did I mention how FANTASTIC Vickie is??? She is truly a wonderful woman, mother, daughter, friend and cousin, and I will always love her! I hope you had a great birthday and thanks again for letting us help you celebrate the big 40 with you!



The audio didn't turn out great, but the video is still funny and a little incriminating!

NOT George of the Jungle

Mark in Zion, swinging from a rope and jumping into the water. Sounds easy......



And here is how it is supposed to be done......



He's going to kill me!!!

Our First Krim!

After 8 weeks of patience and caring for our black krim tomato plant, we have finally picked the first fruit of our labor. We have lots of tomatoes on the vine, but this is the first to be picked.

The black krim isn't known for it's beauty, but it's taste is incredible, slightly sweet. I made a toasted pita, goat cheese, fresh basil, and sliced black krim tomato sandwich, perfect combo.



We have a bunch of other stuff in our potted garden. We've already picked two bell peppers, and we're looking forward to trying the hot chili peppers. We use the herbs on a daily basis, they are producing nicely.

Tiffany's Kick Ass Chinese Chicken Salad

Maybe it's because I am preparing myself to be on my own for a week while Mark is camping with his brother in Zion, but I have been in the kitchen lately. Those who know me know that I pretty much avoid the kitchen at all costs. Mark does an excellent job of taking care of all cooking activities. Yes, I am spoiled.

We had a couple of left over barbecued chicken breasts, and I had seen a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad somewhere weeks ago, so it has been on my mind. Of course today, I could not find that recipe anywhere, so I just made up my own, and it turned out fantastic!

All amounts are approximate

Mix together;

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cups shredded cabbage
3 stocks celery, chopped
1 cup broccoli tops
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup onion (I used green)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

~Dressing~

In a separate bowl, mix together

1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh ginger
2 tsp. horseradish
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Mix dressing with all chopped ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight. I didn't have any on hand, but I thought some sliced almonds would be good too.

I will be taking this to work for lunch several times this week, it's easy!

Doheny Blues Festival

The 12th annual Doheny Blues Festival was this last weekend up in Dana Point. It was the first time I have done this particular festival, and I would probably do it again.

I like all outdoor venues and it is always nice to be so close to the beach. It would have been a lot nicer if the sun would have graced us with it's presence, but it stayed hidden behind the clouds all day.

The lack of sunshine didn't dampen our fun, we had the pleasure of listening to some good music, and that is really what it is all about. The Saturday line up included Elvin Bishop, Sven Zetterberg, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, The Keb Mo Band, Cedric Burnside & Lightin Malcom, John Hammond, Grace Potter, Big Sandy & The Fly-Rite Boys, and finally Brian Setzer & The Nashvillians.



My only complaints about the show was the "Event Card" that they force you to use to pay for everything. I thought it was a good idea at first, it's used just like a debit card that you can add to with cash and use it to pay MOST of the vendors for goods, food and drinks. But the problem was that some vendors wouldn't take them, and others would only take the cards and no cash. So if you have $3 left on your card and you want to buy a $5 beer, you had to go withdraw $20 from the ATM and pay the $4.40 service fee to put $2 more dollars on your card, it was really stupid.

So now that I got my rant out of the way, the rest of our mini-getaway was great! We avoided food poisoning, had an easy commute with no traffic, enjoyed some great music, and we even got upgraded with a jacuzzi in our hotel room, sweet!

Doves @ HOB

I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Doves concert at House of Blues last night. It was the first time I have seen the English trio although I have been listening to them for years.

The guys are touring the states to promote their new album Kingdom of Rust . Doves, (not to be mistaken with "The Doves" - completely different band), are normally a trio including brothers Jez and Andy Williams and Jimi Goodwin. On this tour they are joined by a keyboardist which I thought complemented their sound nicely.

Still not a big fan of the House of Blues as a venue, but I have to admit this time I didn't get too perturbed by the staff and the sound was good. My only complaint are those people that go to shows that are more interested in socializing than paying attention to the band, bugs big time. And they are usually chatty girls with huge purses that constantly bump into me....OK, I will stop now......

And now we are off to the Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point for the weekend, sure to be another excellent musical adventure! Check back later for the details....

Stonewall Peak

Last weekend's adventure included a hike up to Stonewall Peak, which is about an hour east from San Diego. We got lucky and had one of the most beautiful days of the year.

We met up with the rest of our crew at the Paso Picacho Campground, the trail begins just across the street. The trail surrounds you with fragrant wild lavender and white California lilac this time of year. The scars from the 2003 Cedar Fire are eerily beautiful the way the burnt limbs contrasts with the white bark of the trees.

The panoramic view from the Stonewall Peak summit is amazing. On clear days you can see all the way to the Salton Sea, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park can be seen to the east, and the mountains of Baja California to the south.

A fairly easy 4 mile hike, the switchbacks took us (with 3 kids) about 2 hours to reach the peak, and about 1 hour back down. We were all on the lookout for snakes and sure enough found a baby rattler in-between some rocks on the summit. I later learned that it is a rare speckled rattlesnake, crotalus mitcheli.

There were the customary cuts and scrapes but we avoided any major injuries all the way down the trail, until the end. About 50 yards from the bottom of the hill Paul, Marks brother, twisted and sprained his ankle, and had to be carried back to the car. It swelled up pretty good, sure hope he is better in time to go to Zion next month!

Jenny Lewis

Saw Jenny Lewis at the Belly Up on Tuesday, great show! She has the most beautiful voice, you can't help but fall in love with her.

She played a good mix of songs from her newest album Acid Tongue as well as some off of Rabbit Fur Coat, I love that album, some fantastic song writing.

If you are not familiar with Jenny, she used to play with Rilo Kiley and the Watson Twins. I would describe her earlier music as a little more country, but her style has sort of evolved into a more diverse indie sound, what ever that means.

Enjoy this........

If you know a youngster that likes books, you should really, really, really get this book written and published by my friend Gina.

Recently released "The Quiet Lion" is a precious story about Timothy the lion cub and his quest to find his "lost voice". Filled with fabulous illustrations and lessons of life, your children will want to read it over and over. Even if you don't have kids, it would make a great gift!

Gina is also a HUGE advocate for the Epilepsy Foundation , so, generously, Gina is donating $5 for every sold copy to the Foundation. Just enter "EFSDC" in the comments section of the on-line order form and you can help support a truly wonderful cause.

Soltan Banoo

As I make my way around my new neighborhood, I am discovering some new and delightful places! Last weekend we had a fabulous dinner with friends John and Phoebe at Soltan Banoo in University Heights.

Soltan Banoo is a charming restaurant (formerly Cafe Caspian) warmly decorated with eclectic Persian flair. I can't wait to sit out on the deck when it warms up a little this summer. The pillows, textures and soft lighting all add to the cozy ambiance. For sure a good "date place".

As much as I love to try new things, my favorite Persian dish is the zereshk polo and that is what I ordered again. I was not disappointed. The chicken was tender, the basmati rice was perfect and combined with just the right amount of sweetness from the cranberries, it could not have been better.

The service was equally impressive. Patrons are greeted as if you were being invited into their home, and they were attentive and friendly throughout the meal. Note this, if you bring your own tupperware for your leftovers, you can enter a drawing once a month for a free meal! Is that an awesome idea or what?

Cats vs Deflating Everlast Ball

Of course it was a lot funnier about 30 seconds BEFORE I found the camera, but you get the idea! Cats, always a source of entertainment...

The New Neighborhood

We are pretty much all moved into the new house. There are still plenty of projects to work on to make it just right, and if I can just find some time to do it, I might get to a place where I can take some pictures and show you all! Stand by for that soon....

In between all the moving, I have managed to find a little time to explore the new hood and all that it has to offer. There are plenty of thrift and antique stores that I am dying to get into, cute little boutiques, cafes and bars all over the place, and certainly some eateries that my palate can't wait to try.

After much anticipation, The Blind Lady Ale House on Adams Ave. is finally open. We have been watching the construction for months since it's almost next door to Rosie O'Grady's, and we often go there for brunch and their excellent spicy bloody's. We have sampled several of the fine ale's that The Blind Lady is already famous for, (I loved the Hanger 24 Alt) they have over 200 and the menu keeps changing. All of the pizza's look and smell fantastic, the menu alone will make your mouth water. We had the house chorizo with artichokes, yum! I have a feeling we will be regulars there in no time.

We also had a chance to check out Urban Solace on 30th last weekend for their Bluegrass Brunch, it was incredible! I want to go back again and again till I have tried everything on the menu, it all sounds so good. Shannon, Mark and I all ordered something different and swapped bites, I think I liked Shannon's Hanger Steak Benedict with smoked ancho chili hollandaise the best. I ordered the cheesy scrambled eggs, served with grits, which I have NEVER had before, I actually liked them!

My goal is to try a new place at least once a week, so keep checking back for more reviews!

Chaquita's

If you have been around San Diego for a while, you may already know about Chiquita's Mexican Restaurant located at 4110 Home Ave. If you don't, you should, it is certainly one of my favorite places in town for some authentic Mexican food.

We strolled in there on a recent Saturday night, a little on the later side for dinner, and decided to sit at the bar. We started with a huge basket of fresh hot tortilla chips and some of the BEST salsa I have had in a long time. Of course you HAVE to have a "Cadillac Margarita" with chips and salsa that good!



The bartender and staff were all in good spirits and happy to make sure everyone else was happy too. There were several large groups celebrating various special birthdays and momentous occasions. For Mark and I, we had just signed a lease for our first place together, and we were ready to celebrate ~ and soak it all in! More about all that in a later post.....

We started with soup, we both ended up with a different variety, both were so good, I can't decide which was better. For my entree, I had the jumbo garlic shrimp plate. The perfectly proportioned serving included five of the best tasting shrimp I have ever had, of course cooked in a garlic and butter mixture that left you wanting more. Appropriately sided with some really good re fried beans and rice that were definitely not your local "Roberto's" rice and beans!

Mark enjoyed his carnitas plate almost as much, but maybe one of the best parts of both of our meals was the fresh tortillas, WOW, so good! There is something about really good corn tortillas that can just make the meal.

Do add it to your list of restaurants to try. Moderately priced and casual family friendly, you can't go wrong at Chaquita's.

Happy Birthday

If today is your birthday, happy birthday. You are in good company................




Jenny Lewis turns 33







Elvis Presley would be 75







David Bowie is 62 today (that just doesn't seem right!)