A California Online Magazine with Local Focus and Global Appeal
Nothing says Spring or Mother’s Day, like a tea party. Drinking tea was once a lost ritual in the U.S., but it is now making a comeback. The specialty tea market has grown and tea shops can be found all over, even in cities like Fresno! Tea can be sweet or savory, spicy or fruity and it has depth and flavor. Tea is for people of all ages, and especially for those people who like to feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
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Tea time and Mother’s Day seem to go together, so I immediately thought about the simple tea infuser. Once nearly extinct, but now making a comeback, this lowly little item was a necessity for brewing the perfect cup of tea. Infusers were around for a long time before the invention of tea bags. Sometimes called a tea ball or tea egg, by the time of Queen Victoria, no respectable British household would be without one of these, but before we get in to the nitty-gritty of tea infusing, we need a little history lesson on tea itself.
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Most of us pay little or no attention to salt & pepper. They don’t cost much and are easily obtainable at any grocery store. Every household has a container of salt & pepper on the table or in the cupboard, but it wasn’t always this way. At one time, both salt and pepper were literally worth their weight in gold! Modern salt mining techniques and expanded pepper growing regions have made them an everyday item rather than a luxury.
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The First United Methodist Church of Reedley will be holding their 13th annual book sale February 23-March 2 in the church social hall.
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Fresno true crime writer James A. Ardaiz joins us here at KRL this week for an interview, along with a review of his book, a chance to win a copy of the book (details at the end of this post) & information on his upcoming book talk at the San Joaquin Valley Chapter of Sisters In Crime on February 2, 2013.
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So, you have taken my advice from past articles and have started poking around in your grandmother’s (or mother’s) kitchen drawers, and you found this ceramic thingy. It sort of looks like it was half of a salt and pepper set, but then again, there is only one hole on top and it’s way too big. Lucky you; you have found a pie bird! It is one of those whimsical, days-gone-by kitchen gadgets that is still practical enough that every pie baker should have one.
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Here are some clever ideas to get everyone involved in the Halloween spirit. Enjoy these fun crafts on your own or as a family!
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With the start of school just around the corner, the television has been filled with ads about back-to-school supplies: backpacks, pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, etc. from Target and Staples, haircuts from Super Cuts, school shoes from Famous Footwear, and clothes from Old Navy and JCP, and the list goes on and on. Anyway, it made me think about getting ready for my own schooldays way back in the 1950s.
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Sophy is 13 years old. She lives in the dangerous and oppressive slum of Huruma in Nairobi, Kenya. Sophy’s future would have been a bleak one except for one thing, she had the opportunity to attend school. Today she is attending the Furaha High School and is in the top 1% of success in the nation. This was made possible by the Furaha Community Foundation who runs a school in the slum, and the Foundation is just one of the organizations partnered with When I Grow Up, a ministry of Redeemer’s Church in Reedley.
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When I think about my mother at work in the kitchen, there are a few kitchen icons that immediately come to mind: a set of primary colored mixing bowls, a fancy covered casserole dish with a stand, and a set of clear glass custard cups. I mean, it was impossible to make cookies without the large yellow mixing bowl and the green one was the perfect size for macaroni salad.
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This week we are combining vintage kitchens & mystery fun with a review of the first book in a new series by Victoria Hamiliton, A Deadly Grind, an interview with Victoria & a chance to win a copy of the book. Details at the end of this article. Also in this issue is a vintage kitchen collectibles article by our resident historian Diana Bulls.
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The fate of Jesse Morrow Mountain still waits to be seen. Will Cemex, a huge multi-national company, prevail and reduce Jesse Morrow to gravel, or will the so-called “Gateway to the Sierras” remain in its current pristine condition?
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One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is that of her bottomless cookie jar. Grandma’s cookie jar was always full of snicker doodles, chocolate chip, peanut butter, or my favorite, Oatmeal Crunchies. The old black, crockery jar was shaped like a bean pot and had painted red cherries arching across its front. It sat on the counter just inside the kitchen door, which made it handy for marauding grandchildren. My brother, Bill, was caught red-handed one day and dropped the cookie jar lid on the floor, where it broke in half.
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For millions of children, the night of December 24 is the longest night of the year. While tucked in their beds, they anxiously await the arrival of Santa Claus, the gift-toting, jolly visitor from the North Pole. But who is Santa Claus anyway?
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This is the third part of a three part series. The trip can actually be done all in one day, or you can break it up into two shorter trips. Trip One: Oakhurst; Trip Two: Oakhurst to Mariposa to Hornitos; Trip Three: Oakhurst to Hornitos to Coulterville.
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This is the second part of a three part series. The trip can actually be done all in one day, or you can break it up into two shorter trips. Trip One: Oakhurst; Trip Two: Oakhurst to Mariposa to Hornitos; Trip Three: Oakhurst to Hornitos to Coulterville.
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China is a Pug/Chihuahua mix female around 3 1/2 years old. She is gentle & plays well with our other dogs, is crate trained, potty trained, walks well on a leash & she loves to stay right by your side when you are walking outside or doing chores in the house. China is available through Animal Compassion Team.
Cheeto is a 7 month old male orange and white tabby. He gets along with cats and dogs and loves to just play and hang our. Cheeto is available through Cat House On The Kings.
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