On the main drag through Turlock town, Latif's coffee shop stands the test of time. It has two large laminate U shaped counters. The motif is definitely 60's cinderblock. They proudly show the photos of the celebs that have eaten there, and some that show up at the Stanislaus County Fair.
They had a bargain breakfast. Two eggs, two pancakes, two bacon or sausage links for 5.29,no substitutions, thanks you very much. Waitress are on the long side of middle aged. There is a grain weight measure that you can hop on and get your weight if it is under 300 pounds.
Latif's is best known for its "homemade pies." They have a booth at the fair that gets a good line of followers.
It was a real happening place when the 99 did not bypass the town. Now, it sits, as old as most of the costumers that it serves and most of the people that are working there.
: } Pat
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Nectarines
The juiciness of a nectarine is hard to ignore. When they are ripe, the juicy trickles down your arm and you better have a napkin for your mouth.
My poor little 5 foot tall nectarine tree is almost reaching that stage. I have propped up the branches so that the weight of the fruit will not damage the branches as the spread. It has the most beautiful design. It started out as a three foot tree with short branches like an octopus. I have continued its design by pruning vertical branches and now it completely occupies the garden space that once also held iris and violas. The iris will have to be transplanted out when it is cool (ha) this summer. It is planted on the walk up the front to the house. I recovered this land as it started out to be lawn. It once held four roses. Roses are a good choice.. except they don't come with viable food. My neighbors know that they are welcome to my fruit harvest too. They periodically come and pick a few for their table. The man at the end of the cul de sac has a donut peach tree. He goes out and has one every morning. I prunned it for him last year. the tree is doing fine, the peaches are bigger. It also has a design plan.
I think one day soon we are going to have to but some of these nectarines in to a pie or a cobbler. Mom said that her father Bayard liked to have a buckle. A berry buckle or a peach buckle. Grandma Nelly made a great pie crust. I think that that was always the order of the day.. when she wasn't running the cook, or the packing shed.
Have a great summer day... Pat
My poor little 5 foot tall nectarine tree is almost reaching that stage. I have propped up the branches so that the weight of the fruit will not damage the branches as the spread. It has the most beautiful design. It started out as a three foot tree with short branches like an octopus. I have continued its design by pruning vertical branches and now it completely occupies the garden space that once also held iris and violas. The iris will have to be transplanted out when it is cool (ha) this summer. It is planted on the walk up the front to the house. I recovered this land as it started out to be lawn. It once held four roses. Roses are a good choice.. except they don't come with viable food. My neighbors know that they are welcome to my fruit harvest too. They periodically come and pick a few for their table. The man at the end of the cul de sac has a donut peach tree. He goes out and has one every morning. I prunned it for him last year. the tree is doing fine, the peaches are bigger. It also has a design plan.
I think one day soon we are going to have to but some of these nectarines in to a pie or a cobbler. Mom said that her father Bayard liked to have a buckle. A berry buckle or a peach buckle. Grandma Nelly made a great pie crust. I think that that was always the order of the day.. when she wasn't running the cook, or the packing shed.
Have a great summer day... Pat
Monday, June 23, 2008
Plum Jam
As far as jam goes, does a necterine count as a plum or a peach? Because the recipe for jam for both is very different.
Such a delightful dilemma was raised by making jam with both this morning. Finally all the parts came together and I started making jam.
I decided to combine both the plums and the nectarines and in one batch I even throw in a couple of flavor supreme pluots. Then with all this combination it was clear that the plum side had to be recognized.
The flavor supreme pluots have such an intense red color they really colored up the plum nectarine batch. This batch is bright red.
The plums need an extra cooking stage to incorporate the skin color into the meat. So you cook them for 5 minutes on simmer. Combined, the rest of the fruit also got handled this way too. Its a pretty tasty combination. Plums may be used when they are not as ripe as other fruit since they will have this extra step. The yield is supposed to be 6 cups of jam per batch, but it is always a little discouraging since 6 cups divided into pints does not give you much.
I always us low sugar pectin so that the flavor of the fruit shines through.
Two batches were made this morning and that pretty well consumed the sugar on hand. It takes 4 and a half cups of sugar to make a batch. I was off to Costco to get two ten pound bags of sugar for more batches.
Jammin in Merced Pat
Such a delightful dilemma was raised by making jam with both this morning. Finally all the parts came together and I started making jam.
I decided to combine both the plums and the nectarines and in one batch I even throw in a couple of flavor supreme pluots. Then with all this combination it was clear that the plum side had to be recognized.
The flavor supreme pluots have such an intense red color they really colored up the plum nectarine batch. This batch is bright red.
The plums need an extra cooking stage to incorporate the skin color into the meat. So you cook them for 5 minutes on simmer. Combined, the rest of the fruit also got handled this way too. Its a pretty tasty combination. Plums may be used when they are not as ripe as other fruit since they will have this extra step. The yield is supposed to be 6 cups of jam per batch, but it is always a little discouraging since 6 cups divided into pints does not give you much.
I always us low sugar pectin so that the flavor of the fruit shines through.
Two batches were made this morning and that pretty well consumed the sugar on hand. It takes 4 and a half cups of sugar to make a batch. I was off to Costco to get two ten pound bags of sugar for more batches.
Jammin in Merced Pat
Woolgrowers Celebration was a Success
The gathering of the Brown clan in Los Banos was a success. Attendees carpooled because of the high price of gas. Everyone was within a half an hour of the 1 o'clock time. In fact everyone that knew how to get their made it before the 1 o'clock time. The food was good the company was better. I got a chance to bounce from one end of the table to the other.
Linzi was honored for moving up to the next level of her job.. policy writing as a planner 3. Heather was honored for passing her MFT. Linzi and Sean were honored by surviving one year of marriage.
We had a great time. My mom and dad were there, Bob my brother in law was there, Cammie one of my nieces was there, Kelly,my sister and her husband Reza was there, Micheal, and his dog from San Francisco, and a long time friend of Heather was there. It was a great sized party.
The weather was pretty hot. It was a good thing we didn't try to do this in a picnic. Even the Bay Area which is normally cool and windy wasn't exactly the coolest place to be. A huge high has been stalking the West Coast for a good period of time.
Have a great day..
Pat
Linzi was honored for moving up to the next level of her job.. policy writing as a planner 3. Heather was honored for passing her MFT. Linzi and Sean were honored by surviving one year of marriage.
We had a great time. My mom and dad were there, Bob my brother in law was there, Cammie one of my nieces was there, Kelly,my sister and her husband Reza was there, Micheal, and his dog from San Francisco, and a long time friend of Heather was there. It was a great sized party.
The weather was pretty hot. It was a good thing we didn't try to do this in a picnic. Even the Bay Area which is normally cool and windy wasn't exactly the coolest place to be. A huge high has been stalking the West Coast for a good period of time.
Have a great day..
Pat
Sunday, June 22, 2008
A New Meaning for to Go
Yesterday I was eating my favorite fish tacos when I noticed a curious set of events.
A kid about 19 years old came in to the restaurant, engaged the manager who was working the counter. There was pleasant conversation. He wrote down some number on a napkin. He handed it to the manager who continued to talk.He went over with his big Macho green cup and helped himself to the soda machine. (Probably a summer promotion with free refills I surmised). When a customer came in, the manager got busy and was providing services for his customer.
The kid caught the eye of the meal assembler, and ordered a burrito to be made for him. He got the burrito and sat down and ate it.
No money exchanged hands and the manager, I am sure was aware to the transaction or rather lack of the transaction.
The rumor has it that the Taco Bell in Livingston had more food leaving out the back door than the front. Eventually it closed down. All the Taco Bells in the county are owned by one Morman family. This family would use members of its congregation to do the quality control. It was through them that they discovered such a leak. Not dissimilar to the food across the counter at the fish taco place.
The Livingston Taco Bell was one of the smallest around. It was built on the trailer concept. The state was working on the highway through the town to eliminate the only stop light on 99. The Taco Bell owners were not sure of the route the new road take so they made a temporary Taco Bell until plans were finalized. The permanent Taco Bell was never made. I hope I don't lose my fish taco place.
Have a great day
Pat
A kid about 19 years old came in to the restaurant, engaged the manager who was working the counter. There was pleasant conversation. He wrote down some number on a napkin. He handed it to the manager who continued to talk.He went over with his big Macho green cup and helped himself to the soda machine. (Probably a summer promotion with free refills I surmised). When a customer came in, the manager got busy and was providing services for his customer.
The kid caught the eye of the meal assembler, and ordered a burrito to be made for him. He got the burrito and sat down and ate it.
No money exchanged hands and the manager, I am sure was aware to the transaction or rather lack of the transaction.
The rumor has it that the Taco Bell in Livingston had more food leaving out the back door than the front. Eventually it closed down. All the Taco Bells in the county are owned by one Morman family. This family would use members of its congregation to do the quality control. It was through them that they discovered such a leak. Not dissimilar to the food across the counter at the fish taco place.
The Livingston Taco Bell was one of the smallest around. It was built on the trailer concept. The state was working on the highway through the town to eliminate the only stop light on 99. The Taco Bell owners were not sure of the route the new road take so they made a temporary Taco Bell until plans were finalized. The permanent Taco Bell was never made. I hope I don't lose my fish taco place.
Have a great day
Pat
Big Day for Celebration
We are so lucky. We have successful kids in our family.
We are celebrating Heather's passing the state test. We are also celebrating Linzi's new job that gets her to the point that she can make a difference by writing policy for the County of Sacramento. Sean and Linzi have been married for one year. That is cause for clebration too.
The are coming down by train today and going home by train tonight. We are very lucky to live in a city that has train service. And so are they.
Grandma and Granpa are being picked up by Kelly and there is a good chance that the BrownKorbel family will be well represented too. Party hardy at Woolgrowers by 1.
If all things come together we should have 12 maybe 13 at the party.
: ) Pat
We are celebrating Heather's passing the state test. We are also celebrating Linzi's new job that gets her to the point that she can make a difference by writing policy for the County of Sacramento. Sean and Linzi have been married for one year. That is cause for clebration too.
The are coming down by train today and going home by train tonight. We are very lucky to live in a city that has train service. And so are they.
Grandma and Granpa are being picked up by Kelly and there is a good chance that the BrownKorbel family will be well represented too. Party hardy at Woolgrowers by 1.
If all things come together we should have 12 maybe 13 at the party.
: ) Pat
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Hot Weather Routine
Today it is due to get to 110. Seriously.. 110. Tomorrow there should be a break in the weather and we expect mid 90's. This will be one of the hottest days of the year (we hope) So what do you do about this?
In the morning you load your house with cool air.. or at least as cool as it gets. All windows are opened and the warmth saved by the house at night needs to be released.
All lawns and plants need to be watered throughly.
Get hot outdoor tasks done in the morning.. it won't be over 90 till at least 10 o'clock.
Make sure the people and the cats are well watered. Load with extra water in the morning so that it will be in your system in the afternoon. You cannot replace it fast enough in the afternoon.
Set the air when it gets to be hot, to a reasonable temperature. Its amazing what little air space tolerance we really have. 82 inside is a little too hot. 77 is a little too cool for non active people.
Find your local red box and indulge. There is no sports schedule to consider this time of the year. Yeh the Giant bums are playing.. but save your TV from destruction. They were playing in KC last night.. pretty unusual.
Be calm and get out that iced tea...
Love
Pat
In the morning you load your house with cool air.. or at least as cool as it gets. All windows are opened and the warmth saved by the house at night needs to be released.
All lawns and plants need to be watered throughly.
Get hot outdoor tasks done in the morning.. it won't be over 90 till at least 10 o'clock.
Make sure the people and the cats are well watered. Load with extra water in the morning so that it will be in your system in the afternoon. You cannot replace it fast enough in the afternoon.
Set the air when it gets to be hot, to a reasonable temperature. Its amazing what little air space tolerance we really have. 82 inside is a little too hot. 77 is a little too cool for non active people.
Find your local red box and indulge. There is no sports schedule to consider this time of the year. Yeh the Giant bums are playing.. but save your TV from destruction. They were playing in KC last night.. pretty unusual.
Be calm and get out that iced tea...
Love
Pat
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