Is There Anything Better Than Saturday Breakfast Out?

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!

missjunebug’s Bread Recommendation of the Decade: TJ’s Tuscan Pane

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

Lessons in Licorice

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!

Tiny Tomato Happiness!

Posted by missjunebug on Thursday June 17th, 2010

Tiny Tomato Turns on a Dime! Photo by mjb2010

Last year around this time missjunebug was eulogizing her Tomato Sadness. Only half of her homegrown tomato looked good enough to eat. The underbelly was ulcerated and grim and looked like something she might find on the kitchen counter of TinyJB’s former abode (recently cited as a nuclear waste hazard).

But this year is different!

missjunebug has found Tiny Tomato Happiness growing cherry tomatoes! (Thanks for the tip, lovely r.h.!) The one pictured above is the runt of the litter, but it’s a perfectly round and healthy runt! mjb is looking forward to a full harvest of cherry tomatoes that are just the right size.

In the meantime, missjunebug plans to add this tiny tomato to her Collection of Tiny Things! That is, until she adds a little s&p and pops it into her mouth!

Happy gardening!

Tierra Rejada Family Farms in Moorpark Rocks!

Posted by missjunebug on Tuesday May 11th, 2010

Wow! That's a Lot of Great Produce and a Delicious Sweet Treat for 21 tiny dollars! Photo by mjb2010

missjunebug suggests you remember this website name: www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com. And this addy: 3370 Sunset Valley Road
off of Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark, California. And this motto: Discover Underwood Family Farms “bringing you back to the farm.”

She took a leisurely stroll through the colorful farmer’s market area and came away with a treasure trove of delicious vegetables and fruits without paying a king’s ransom. In fact, missjunebug wants you to know that what you see pictured above set her back a mere 21 dollars. Now all she has to do is throw in a little protein and she’s got dinners for the rest of the week. And don’t overlook the little treat missjunebug picked up for herself included in that tiny price tag: Honees Honey Filled Drops Pure liquid honey inside every drop! Did missjunebug mention how delicious these little candy treats are? Believe it! Sweet and soothing and she says, “Just one more, please” as she unwraps another and pops it into her happy mouth!

Honees are just about as sweet as a trip to Tierra Rejada Family Farms in Moorpark. But not quite! Check out their website to find out more about the fun family doings at this rare way to spend your day in the era of blogging (mjb guilty as charged,) web surfing, twittering, facebooking, and general self-absorption via technology that knows no bounds (actually a pretty good thing!). Here’s a shortlist of the fun available down on the farm: Birthday Parties for wee ones, Pick-Your-Own Produce (check out their website for what’s currently in season), School Tours, Fun Rides, and, of course, the fab Farmer’s Market with Specialty Gifts & Products and Fruit & Vegetable Gift Baskets!!!  And the people working there are Super Friendly, too.

missjunebug wants to know What are you waiting for? Grab that cowboy hat (she knows you have one up in that hall closet somewhere) and head down to Tierra Rejada Family Farms in Moorpark. There’s one in Somis, too! Fun x 2 for mjb and you!

Side Dish Extraordinaire! missjunebug’s Golden Beets and Brussel Sprouts!

Posted by missjunebug on Tuesday May 4th, 2010

Golden Beets Pre-Roasting! Beautiful! Photo by mjb2010

missjunebug knows what you are thinking. Beets?? Puhleeze. Brussel sprouts? She has got to be kidding. But trust her. This is one of the tastiest vegetable side dishes you will ever eat. Alone beets can be a little hard to take. And those little green mini-cabbages can sometimes be a little bitter. But with a light hand, a little olive oil, a handful of sliced shallots, and toasted almonds: Voilà!! You have just created an extraordinarily tasty and colorful sidedish! missjunebug won’t even mention how healthy it is for you!

Try this little photo recipe on for size and flavor! You won’t be sorry!

missjunebug’s Golden Beets and Brussel Sprouts (adapted from an online recipe from missjunebug can’t remember where)

Ingredients

10 or so medium-sized golden beets

12 or so brussels sprouts

1 shallot, peeled and sliced

Olive oil

2-3 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Step 1

1. Roast the beets in the oven at 350°F for an hour or so. Roasting will allow the flavor of the beets to develop fully. After roasting, let them cool enough so that you can easily peel them. Then chop into 1 x 1/2 inch chunks.

Golden Beets Post Roasting! Delicious! Photo by mjb2010

After Roasting, Give Those Beets a Little Trim! Photo by mjb2010

2. Peel outer leaves of the brussel sprouts and trim stems. On the stem mark a little X with your knife to ensure even cooking. Parboil brussel sprouts in a small saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Test for doneness by cutting one in half. They should be not quite done. They will finish cooking when they are added to the beets. Cut each sprout in half and set aside.

The Side Dish Extraordinaire Triumvirate: Golden Beets, Brussel Sprouts, Shallots! Photo by mjb2010

3. Slice the shallots then grab a good-sized skillet. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and add the shallot slices. Stir and cook until the shallots are translucent. Add one more tablespoon of the oil and turn up the heat a just a little.

4. Gently toast almond slices in a skillet on the stove top at medium heat. Stir frequently until lightly brown. Set aside to cool.

The Secret Ingredient! Sliced Almonds, Gently Toasted! Photo by mjb2010

5. Add the brussel sprouts and beets to the skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute or two, then add those delicious almond slices for the finishing touch!

Ta Da! Golden Beets and Brussel Sprouts Ready to Serve! Photo by mjb2010

Serves 3-4.

missjunebug encourages you to say “Yes!!” to vegetables, even the strange ones like golden beets and brussel sprouts!

KFC Coleslaw: missjunebug Style

Posted by missjunebug on Friday April 9th, 2010

Simple and Simply Delicious Coleslaw Ingredients! Photo by mjb2010

When missjunebug gets a craving for fast food her top pick is KFC. But missjunebug does fast food with a difference. She skips the chicken and goes straight to the sides: green beans (oniony-good), mashed potatoes (reminiscent of her high school cafeteria m.p.! Go Cougars!), coleslaw (creamy and crispy simultaneously!) and a peach ice tea for her beverage. This is mjb’s idea of the perfect fast food lunch!

missjunebug makes her choices partly on taste and partly on principle. The KFC sides taste delicious and are very calorie conservative. But matters of taste are not everything.  Michael Pollan (Food Rules “eat food.” “mostly plants.” “not too much.”) and Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything; How to Cook Everything Vegetarian; Food Matters) have been instrumental in reforming her eating habits into vegetarian by day, omnivore by night, where meat, chicken, and fish assume the role of mere condiments on her veggie and whole-grain filled dinner plate. Eating low on the food chain just feels better to missjunebug!

Does that mean she doesn’t enjoy the occasional In-N-Out Burger? Absolutely not! But she does go with a single with cheese instead of a double-double or a 4×4 animal style! There really is something to be said for moderation in all things, but believe her when she says it’s taken missjunebug a lifetime to learn that lesson!

So last night when missjunebug was preparing pulled pork sandwiches for Mr.JB and ElderJB, she decided to whip up some KFC-style coleslaw, too. The pulled pork was super easy to pull off because missjunebug just opened up the StoneRidge Ranch Pulled Pork in BBQ Sauce package, plopped it in a baking dish, and heated it up for 2o minutes at 350 in the oven. Could not be simpler or more delicious. Which brings missjunebug back to her Coleslaw Homage to KFC Recipe:

KFC Coleslaw: missjunebug Style

8 cups finely diced cabbage (about 1 head)

1/3 cup diced carrot

1/3 cup diced green bell pepper

3 tablespoons minced red onion

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Finely dice cabbage, carrots, and green bell pepper.

Place cabbage and carrot/bell pepper mixture into large bowl and add minced red onion.

Whisk together remaining ingredients to form a creamy dressing.

Pour over vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly.

Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

Makes a crap-ton and is the perfect accompaniment to Pulled Pork Sammiches in Q Sauce! Enjoy!

GiNormous Amounts of missjunebug's Coleslaw! Photo by mjb2010

Up Close and Coleslaw-y! Photo by mjb2010

Can Julie & Julia Get People Back into the Kitchen?

Posted by missjunebug on Friday August 7th, 2009

missjunebug had a wonderful time at the movies today. She and a dear friend saw the new film Julie & Julia based on two true stories, one of the famous Le Cordon Bleu graduate who practically singlehandedly introduced America to French cooking and the other of a frustrated, cubicled admin drone who practically singlehandedly in 365 days cooked her way through all 524 recipes from Child’s genius work Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

missjunebug agrees with critics who say the film feels a little lopsided, owing to the weighty acting chops of Meryl Streep as Julia Child. She edges just up to caricature but pulls back a scintilla to create one of the most magnetic performances missjunebug has seen on screen in a really long time. Amy Adams is less captivating if not earnest, a Julie-lite. But missjunebug merely quibbles because she delighted in every frame of the film! Add to that how laugh out loud funny it is and how delicious the featured food looks and it’s a win-win for everyone in the audience.

Seats at missjunebug’s Roxy were populated by a nice mix of ages (30 and up, okay, way up) and they’d all turned out at 11:20 in the a.m. to see the film the very first chance they got! And believe missjunebug when she says the audience just ate it up! Even applauding as the credits rolled!

Now she wonders if this fine film will convince people that cooking at home is a more-than-worthwhile venture everyone should try. Project Runway encouraged young college aged-students to learn how to sew and even missjunebug dusted off her Singer Futura to sew again so inspired was she by the tattooed Jeffrey, the sophisticated Laura and the fierce Christian. mjb’s projects haven’t been particularly elaborate but they’ve been fun and satisfying!

Can the same thing happen to those couch potatoes who watch cooking shows ad infinitum (and ad nauseum?) but never bother to pull a pan out of the cabinet, head to their frig and pantry, and cook up some fresh, homemade food themselves? Or are American watchers in a permanent post-food preparation era? Michael Pollan thinks the (spaghetti) writing is (stuck) on the wall and they will never make their way back into the kitchen. Packaged foods have given way to fully cooked open-and-serve convenience foods. All the “preparer” needs is a fork and a napkin. What’s next? Can the Trekian food replicator be far behind?

missjunebug hopes Julie & Julia inspires America to rediscover its love of the home-cooked meal and to prepare a few favorites from time to time! Food is more than nourishment for the body: it is nourishment for the soul. If you don’t believe missjunebug, take a friend and see the soulful, romantic, and delicious Julie & Julia. J & J will convince you and make you really, really hungry, too! Bon appetit!

Fruit, Fabulous Fruit!

Posted by missjunebug on Thursday June 11th, 2009

missjunebug has been thinking about fruit lately. She picked up some awesome strawberries at the World’s Best Strawberry Fields (except for maybe John L.’s) Las Posas Berries in Ventura County. Check out how delicious they look:

Plump and Delicious and Sweet! Photo by mjb2009

Here’s how to find them:

Can You Read the Label? Photo by mjb2009

If you are cruising through Southern California between the months of February and July, do yourself a favor and stop by Las Posas Berries. Nicest people! Best strawberries! Ever!

Speaking of fruit, here’s a little painting missjunebug did in her fab watercolor class this week. It almost looks good enough to eat, don’t you think? Not quite good enough to frame, though.  missjunebug is a watercolor neophyte, but her fab teacher Phyllis Doyon is very, very patient with her! Check out her website at www.phyllisdoyon.com!

Delicious Painted Pairs! Yum! Photo by mjb2009

For the final all things fruit entry today, take a look as this very cool sign missjunebug spotted motoring through her little pastoral valley. It reminded Mr.JB of one a viewer might see on the HBO series No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency based on the books by Alexander McCall Smith. missjunebug agrees! She also recommends that you check out the books as well as the series. Both are as delightful as a big bowl of strawberries sprinkled with sugar on a hot June day. Believe it!

Sublime Fruity Art! Photo by mjb2009