Something HOT!!!

It was a good year for growing peppers.... Mine were mostly chili peppers... and ... as much as I love the heat, we were running out of ideas for eating them. I had a garden full-of-them when the frost struck the other night. So, in the morning I went out and harvested frozen peppers.... a basket full of them, and I needed a plan... FAST... I went online, and found a very helpful group of gardeners here who have brilliant ideas for using up an abundant harvest...(of anything!!).... Isn't the Internet amazing!?!

Here is a link to the recipe for pepper jelly - I just chopped up everything I had, and used the proportions and directions in the recipe... Four cups of mixed peppers made about 6 jars of jelly. (I removed a lot of the seeds, and inner membranes -the spiciest portion, because these guys packed a LOT of heat on their own...think pepper-spray--gasp!gasp! gulp!!) ... besides chilies, there was a cup of cider vinegar, and a box of pectin... Boil that all together, add 5 cups of sugar - then boil one more minute. Really simple, except ...,,, you have to use the sterilized jars and boiling-water-bath, and all that precise safe canning detail... but it was worth it... And my hands stopped burning, finally ...(heh heh!)...aloe vera helped with that! Well, I had been wishing for warmth... and this is what I got!

Anytime we want a little heat, we'll just open a jar of this stuff. A very nice balance of spicy & sweet. Here is my favorite way to enjoy it ... poured over cream cheese then spread on a cracker. (Over Brie is good too, but I kinda like my brie "neat" - haha!) I am going to try it as a dip for egg rolls, and I hear it is good brushed on grilled chicken.... And it won't be long before I try making an adult-only PB& J.... something for a cold morning :-))

Next summer I think I will plant Habaneros!

Brrrrr!

Snow on Mount Diablo

It's COLD!!! Winter weather has arrived in our part of California - The weather we most associate with winter is fog... and, of course, rain. Snow is rare in the Bay Area - but on occasion the higher elevations get a light dusting of it. Last night snow fell on Mt Diablo and it has not yet melted... What a lovely sight!

This time of year the temperature sometimes dips below freezing where we are... This morning there was thick frost on the ground here around home, and patches of ice on the sidewalks. The last of the tender veggies in the garden are done-for. The basil is now a pile of mush. And I will be keeping a close eye on my citrus trees - so far no major damage... Sometimes we string Christmas lights in amongst the oranges and lemons to help keep them warm at night :-))

Crab Feed

December is the time of crab feeds around here. Continuing for the next couple of months. Aren't we lucky?!? For those of you who haven't had the experience, let me explain... Picture this:

An informal gathering... Hundreds of people, around large tables... bottles of wine ( the good cheap stuff) ... these are fund-raising events... A large mixed salad is passed along... garlic bread, always... then the pasta course... swimming in melted butter and cheese...(this is the favorite, secretly, of many crab-feed attendees)...then... comes.. the CRAB!! and there is always LOTS of it....!... Bring your own crab-cracking-tools.... it is served in the shell, freshly cooked, and chilled... crab parts, in huge piles - Dungeness Crab... All you can eat ... mm,mm,mm. Hands on... you have to work for this, prying every morsel from it's shell. Most of us just dig in, and go for it. It's a messy job, but worth it... Little bits of crab shell and other crab parts end up everywhere.... (NEVER bring anything into the crab-feed arena that can't be washed out afterwards.... crab shrapnel starts to um.. smell after a while... )... Cracking crab together leads to a special kind of camaraderie... among tablemates... all wearing identical "crab" bibs. Oldtimers share helpful de-shelling tips with those of us who still have lots to learn... It is a fun time. UmHm... After the "main event" a dessert is served, usually something in a frozen cup, served with a little wooden spoon, but this may vary, depending on the venue. There is bound to be a raffle, or drawing of some sort, tickets being sold throughout the dinner. Often there is an auction. A lot of volunteer effort goes into the preparations. I always hope they are making lots of money on these events!

December 7th on Mt. Diablo

This beacon at the very top of Mt Diablo is lit just one night a year, on December 7th, to honor those who served at Pearl Harbor.

We bundled into the car at dusk and drove a short distance to gaze expectantly up at the mountain. The night was clear, and we were soon rewarded with a bright white flash from the top of the summit. A few more blinks, and we drove back to our warm house... pleased that the view of the beacon was excellent this year! A little family tradition of ours...

The beacon was originally erected in 1928 by the Standard Oil Company and the US department of Commerce to guide commercial aircraft. It was first lit by Charles Lindberg. The rotating beam of light could be seen for 100 miles. Nick-named the "Eye of Diablo" it was used nightly, until 1941.

When Pearl Harbor was bombed, there was concern that the light would attract the attention of enemy aircraft, and become a target. The light went unlit, and fell into disrepair, until 45 years ago, when it was restored by a group of Pearl Harbor survivors and a new tradition was begun.

In 1964 - and every year since - on December 7th, the Diablo chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association has held a ceremony prior to lighting the beacon — which stays lit only until sunrise the next day. A small group of veterans meets at the summit in the late afternoon to share their memories with the public.

The nonprofit group Save Mount Diablo helps facilitate the remembrance and has assumed responsibility for maintaining the beacon.

More Links:

Mount Diablo State Park website

Mount Diablo Interpretive Association

Hold On!!

Saw this group walking along a busy Powell Street sidewalk this afternoon. They were moving along at a pretty good clip, and the critters appeared real comfortable with their arrangement. I'm glad I got to see it with my own eyes, or I wouldn't have believed it!

(if you click to enlarge the photo, you can see the whiskers on the little guy - yes, he is a real live rat!!!!!!!!!!)