Posted by missjunebug on Sunday September 5th, 2010
missjunebug had a great dinner date with a dear friend the other night. It all began at the festive Sabor Cocina Mexicana at the Lakes in Thousand Oaks. Yum x 10 describes this upscale Mexican restaurant with margaritas so big you can dunk your entire face in them, but better to drink them! They reminded missjunebug a little bit of Buca di Beppo’s “meatballs as big as your head.” Mega portion and a price to match, but missjunebug assures you that you won’t have to order more than one!
As for food, delicious, too and so artistically presented! As pretty as the Sabor Cocina decorative aesthetic! missjunebug loved her Chicken Enchilada Suizas and her friend enjoyed the organic Chicken Tacos under the glow of the red heart chandelier. Just take a look:
Enchiladas Suizas! Photo by mjb2010
Organic Chicken Tacos! Photo by mjb2010
What a Chandelier! missjunebug Hearts It! Photo by mjb2010
Better Than Paint or Wallpaper: Gorgeous Mexican Tiles! Photo by mjb2010
After their delicious meal, missjunebug and her friend strolled over to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza for their dessert: the sweet-as-treacle ensemble Celtic Woman. This group gives new meaning to the phrase “Go Irish!” Their music was an endearing mix of old standards (”Danny Boy” comes to mind) and lively fiddle-inspired Irish jigs that kept the audience clapping and smiling well after the conclusion of the performance. Okay, so missjunebug couldn’t live on a steady diet of this type of music, but for one night she enjoyed it thoroughly!
Posted by missjunebug on Monday August 23rd, 2010
Today is a good day for missjunebug. It’s her 30th wedding anniversary! And they said it wouldn’t last! Just kidding, Mr.JB! So sad you are on the other side of the globe, but the junebugs had a good pre-anniversary dinner at Money Pancho, didn’t they?
As for the gift, it turns out Mr.JB is really in luck. He already bought the right present for missjunebug while they were having the time of their buglives in Tahiti earlier this summer. That’s right, pearls are the gift to give for the Big 3-0! Who knew? Way to get lucky Mr.JB. You are most definitely off the hook for a gift. And your gift is off the hook: You already gave those gorgeous Tahitian pearls to missjunebug and believe her when she says she adores them!
So, Mr.JB thanks for all your love, hard work, great parenting, wacky sense of humor, and your full-on Mr.JB-ness! Dare the JBs hope for 30 more years? Hells, yeah.
Posted by missjunebug on Sunday August 22nd, 2010
This Sunday was unlike any other Sunday for missjunebug. She spent the morning with a dear friend visiting the Agape International Spiritual Center. You may have heard of Agape (Greek for unconditional love) and its founder and spiritual director Rev. Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith by way of The Secret and the Oprah show. He is the man with the braided hair, the million-dollar smile and the serene countenance who speaks eloquently about the paths to consciousness and true Self.
His spiritual center is most definitely keeping the dream alive in Culver City and beyond, welcoming newcomers warmly and focusing on a message that is transdenominational. All this and some awesome music, too! This particular Sunday Rev. Dr. Beckwith was fulfilling another dream in Ghana where he received the title of Chief conferred upon him by the leaders of a local village in charge of official ceremonies, one more title in a long list of titles awarded to this singular man! The participants in the service at Agape were delighted to see a picture of the Reverend decked out in Chieftain garb up on the big screen.
missjunebug soaked up the greetings, the affirmations, the singing and learned much from the guest speaker Mr. Matthew Fox who focused on the pressing problems the world faces using the metaphor of ying-yang to elucidate those problems. But probably the part missjunebug really appreciated the most was the half-hour of meditation that occurred before the service began. She can’t think of a better way to prepare for worship than to get centered and get quiet enough to hear the still, small voice and know that it is God.
Will missjunebug return to Agape? Maybe. But her summer hiatus is almost over and she’s ready to return to her own home congregation. The energy is a bit more subdued there, the songs not quite so lively, but heart, soul, and spirit dwell there. Blessings!
Posted by missjunebug on Saturday August 14th, 2010
The answer, of course, is No! At least that’s the way missjunebug feels! Mr.JB suggested breakfast out this a.m. and missjunebug could not say YES! fast enough. They had a luxurious morning savoring hot coffee, corned beef hash topped with two eggs sunny side up, a rancher’s omelette chock full of bacon, avocado, tomatoes, and two delicious cheeses, cheddar and Monterey jack and, yes, even some eggs thrown in to hold all those goodies together! And did she mention the breakfasts come with fresh fruit and the bread of your choice. Mr.JB opted for the English muffin; mjb, the wheat toast. Delightful with a capital D!
Now you are probably wondering where in the world to get such fine breakfast entrees. The answer is The Waypoint Cafe at the Camarillo Airport. Newly refurbished but looking a little too Starbuck’s-y has not diminished the fab menu! Part of the charm pre-remodel was the slightly down at the heels look to the restaurant that embodied the best of Old Camarillo, but all things change. missjunebug welcomes the new look and is thrilled the food is as good as ever. Find out for yourself the next time you are in Southern California, have a Saturday free, and crave a big breakfast served at a restaurant that’s also big on atmosphere. Just look out the windows and watch all those cool little planes take off! And there’s no charge for the entertainment! Does it get better than that? The answer, of course, is No!
Posted by missjunebug on Monday July 26th, 2010
mjb says "Thanks, TJ's" for this awesome bread! Photo by mjb2010
Perhaps the title to this blog is a bit much, but missjunebug can’t say enough good things about this good bread! Trader Joe’s Tuscan Pane “A Stone Hearth Oven-Baked Classic Italian Bread” lives up to its name: It is a classic! And squisito! And missjunebug hearts it big time!
Perfect for toast, even more perfect for grilled cheese! Believe her when she says you should swing by your local T.J.’s and pick up a loaf today! The “crisp crust” and “chewy interior” will not disappoint!
missjunebug owes her friend and neighbor M. who brought a loaf to her a while back as a little get well gift (along with soup and super treats, too) a big THANKS for introducing her to this lovely loaf!
Oh. my. yes. Delicious for Toast & the Perfect Grilled Cheese! Photo by mjb2010
Posted by missjunebug on Friday July 23rd, 2010
Lemony x 10! Photo by mjb2010
missjunebug loves muffins and occasionally indulges in the semi-healthy mega-delicious varieties. The missjunebug Lemony Good Sour Cream Muffin recipe definitely qualifies for that designation. For all health foodies out there, please feel free to adapt away with whole wheat flour and less sugar and no butter, but for missjunebug, she’ll keep the white ingredients and only eat these delicious lemony treats every once in a while! The perfect compromise for optimal eating! And missjunebug can’t think of a better spring or summer breakfast treat served along side a slab o’ slices of Farmer John’s Classic Bacon, cooked up crisp-delicious! (jk, health foodies!)
missjunebug’s Lemony Good Sour Cream Muffins
(adapted from 1-2-3 Bake in Parade July 11, 2010)
2 cups King Arthur unbleached white flour or white whole wheat flour (for your h.f’s out there)
2/3 cup C & H sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3/4 cup Daisy or TJ’s sour cream
2 large organic eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 stick butter, melted
India Tree Sparkling Sugar-Bright White (optional)
Prep dry ingredients first: Mix together with a whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and lemon zest.
Prep wet ingredients next: Mix together lemon juice, sour cream, eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts, and melted butter.
Prep dry and wet ingredients separately! Photo by mjb2010
Mix the dry and the wet ingredients together. Stir in a kind and gentle way, just enough to combine. Don’t worry about any tiny lumps!
Mix Gently! Tiny Lumps Allowed! Photo by mjb2010
Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin tin. Sprinkle with India Tree Sparkling Sugar-Bright White for a bakery finish! Bake 20-22 minutes at 350 degrees. Let rest five minutes before sampling! Enjoy!
Any Old Muffin Tin Will Do!! Photo by mjb2010
Let rest five minutes before sampling! Enjoy!
The Perfect Summer Muffin! Photo by mjb2010
Posted by missjunebug on Wednesday July 21st, 2010
missjunebug between bouts of various and heinous medical interventions has still managed to have some fun with her p.i.c. doing some fairly vigorous retail therapy. There’s nothing like the approaching end of summer to bring on the heavy discounts: Nordstrom It’s Our Anniversary Sale! Banana Republic Many Percent Off Everything Sale! JCrew A Few Really Fine Things on Sale Sale! What fun!
missjunebug and her dear p.i.c. are devoted to improving their look as well as giving a much needed shot in the arm to the local economy. And speaking of arms, yes, they both bought pieces that actually reveal some arm and even a little leg. This time next year they will be sailing the high seas to exotic ports of call baring trim and firm extremities! Where does such inspiration and motivation come from? That’s right: Retail Therapy. The most affordable and accessible therapy out there for the not-getting-any-younger set.
missjunebug knows what you are thinking: How do you know the pieces you buy today will still be in style a year from today!? First off, what’s a year in the fashion industry? No biggie. You didn’t really fall for all that Devil Wears Prada nonsense, did you, dear reader? mjb and her p.i.c. can easily spot the lasting trends, grab the classics, and skip the gnarly fads that fade like cheap jeans after a hot wash. Okay, maybe no one will still be wearing sequins on their JCrew t-shirts next year, but missjunebug doubtless will be! She’ll just refer to what she’s wearing as vintage! Yeah, that’ll work!
Secondly, it doesn’t matter what mjb and her p.i.c. wear because nobody’s looking! It’s as if Harry Potter’s cloak of invisibility has settled gently on their shoulders and they can do whatever they want: wear red hats! don purple clothing! squeeze into blue thongs! expose bare arms! Believe missjunebug when she says no one cares! And, yes, there was a time a long day ago when both of them turned a few heads but, alas, those days are done. Those days are most definitely gone. Hey, you can’t look at what you can’t see!
Still, missjunebug and her p.i.c. didn’t dwell on time passing but kept a clear-eyed focus on their potent purchases filled with therapy and possibility and fun!
Holland America! Disney Cruise! Here they come!
Posted by missjunebug on Tuesday July 13th, 2010
missjunebug and her Mr.JB have recently returned from their little trip to French Polynesia. Fun times! Papeete provided great food in town and at the Sofitel, fun shopping at the awesome Marketplace and some nifty museums sprinkled around Tahiti as well. Moorea, just a half-hour ferry ride from Tahiti, was Snorkel Central for the junebugs. mjb squealed with delight watching her Mr.JB hand feed some very friendly stingrays. She even managed to pat a few on the their sleek and curious flappy bodies and was reminded of a gray cashmere sweater she wears in the fall and winter. Yes, seriously, that’s what they felt like! Who knew??? A few sharks cut through nearby waters, but missjunebug and her Mr.JB maintained a reasonable distance. A highlight of the trip for sure, only to be topped by the Total Solar Eclipse viewed by the junebugs on the Hao Atoll, a slim strip of land in the middle of Ocean Central! Lucky bugs to not get clouded out. Three minutes and change felt like 8 seconds (as all eclipse chasers know!) but they savored every single second of darkness, shimmering corona, and yelps of the Hao locals and the e-chasers livin’ the dream! Next? Queensland Australia 2012, birthplace of the Spoonbug. Too bad she can’t come along to eclipse chase, too.
Posted by missjunebug on Sunday July 4th, 2010
Photo by mjb2010
Happy Birthday USA!
missjunebug loves being an American junebug. And she really loves a Fourth of July Parade! This year she had to go no further than her own block to see one. The First Annual Presilla Tractor Parade on her very own street! What fun! Mr.JB was outside in their backyard, heard some patriotic music and looked over their fence to see a line of tractors decked out in sparkles and bangles and banners and flags heading up the hill! He ran in the house to tell missjunebug the good news. They changed into their patriotic t-shirts, grabbed their dog Spoonbug, put the roof down on the car, and made a dash around the block to catch the parade at the top of the hill! What followed was a wave fest, happy Fourth of July greetings, and an invitation to join the parade! Lucky junebugs! Of course, they wasted no time u-turning to take their place in the tractor line-up for the rest of the route!
missjunebug managed to take lots of pictures and say big hellos to her tractored-up west-end neighbors, some for the first time. The junebugs felt a part of the vast web of Fourth of July Parades taking place all across America to celebrate this great country. How lucky for them that one took place right on their own street!
Happy Fourth of July!
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Photo by mjb2010
Mr.JB Flips a U-ie to Join the Fun! Photo by mjb2010
Happy Fourth of July, America!! Photo by mjb2010
Posted by missjunebug on Tuesday June 22nd, 2010
Mr.JB's Happy Licorice People Right Before...You Know! Photo by mjb2010
Mr.JB and missjunebug have been married a really, really long time and have no plans of walking the sad path recently taken by Al and Tipper and some other long marrieds-soon divorced that they know. Is it something in the water? missjunebug isn’t sure. What she is sure of is that over time she and her Mr.JB are becoming more and more alike which turns out not to be a bad thing since they started out many, many years ago as complete opposites. He’s science-y; she’s word-y. He’s a relentless perfectionistic; she’s lives by the 80%/20% rule: that is, 80% is plenty good enough in most things most of the time. He’s methodical, always; she’s haphazard, on a good day. He loves licorice like no other; she couldn’t stand the stuff.
Yes, that’s right. missjunebug once hated licorice with all her little bug heart. When she was an itty bitty bug, she could never have imagined digging into a bag of licorice All Sorts or Harry & David Tuxedos or multi-colored Licorice Snaps or black as night Scottie Dogs, not to mention eating pink and white Mike and Ike’s. The idea revolted her. Now missjunebug could fall back on her De gustibus non es disputandum motto here very easily, but the fact is that even though one cannot account for taste, missjunebug has learned that tastes do change over time. How does this happen? missjunebug has no idea. But there it is. missjunebug over the past couple of years has developed a deep and abiding love for licorice.
She suspects that it originally had to do with scarcity. She’d run out of everything fun and sweet to eat that she favored (Junior Mints, Kit Kat Bars, M&M’s Peanut, Reese’s Pieces, Cherry Sours–the list goes on and on) and resorted to trying “just one, please” piece of licorice that Mr.JB had methodically rationed to himself for an after dinner treat. It was not love at first bite. But it was sweet enough to be interesting and not nearly as revolting as missjunebug remembered from her childhood. This little scenario replayed itself enough times that missjunebug eventually acquired a taste for what was once the untasteable.
And really, really liked it. Maybe missjunebug was able to set aside her deep and abiding childhood loathing of licorice just long enough to give it a try and another try, and then another. Now she and Mr.JB delight in sharing the enjoyment of a sweet treat they both find tasty.
Things can change. Tastes can change. And yes, marriages break up, even 30 or 40 year ones. But sometimes marriages of opposites can celebrate all the ways in which a couple have come to reside happily in the ”if ever two were one, then surely we” category!
Now, Mr.JB, hand missjunebug that bag of Scottie Dogs, pronto!
