OMG Claire (for the second time today) i think the Genius Recipe moniker has been claimed somewhere else, but if not, this would be it.

OMG Claire (I may have heard that on a YouTube video...) i just picked two larger -than-i like-zucchini and i just made some B&B cuke pickles with subsequent left over brine: a marriage made in heaven! the only problem with these is that i can eat a pint jar at one sitting and my kitchen is tart/sweet sticky for a…

or, ‘if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime’ (heard on a chain on the way to court)...

i live in SoCal and fly out of BUR (2 hours minimum) or LAX (4 hours minimum). i’ve experienced security lockdowns/evacuations, tons of people travelling to celebrate their ancestor’s national holiday, construction, weather, TRAFFIC. i would rather sit at the airport than sweat in a traffic jam or serpentine line of…

if you’re in SoCal, Ojai Farmer’s Market on Sundays 9-1 is the place to be. i went yesterday to buy apricots to make jam. i made a fast walk until i found a stand from Fresno which had white nectarines and apricots. i checked the other stands for price and quality, returned to my original choice and bought about 12…

City ordinance forbids car washing (drought isn’t over): Costco drive through is our alternative. WD-40 with magic eraser for paint transfers/scuffs.

let me count the ways: i bought my extreme fixer for $329,000, about $100k less than the turnkey equivalent (in SoCal). i’ve spent lots of $, worst surprise was foundation problem. however: i know where every wire, pipe and piece of drywall was sourced and who installed it. my house should be (stressing the should…

i just found this. i moved into my ‘rent house’ after the death of my husband. i miss: my neighbors, my view, my back gate opening to hiking trails, the 10 degrees F increase in temp at my old house which was about 400' higher in elevation (SoCal fog didn’t get up on the hill on lots of days). i don’t miss: taking…

Thank you. I’ve been trying to recreate the brief military history of an uncle who spent only a few months overseas in the Battle of the Bulge. I wasn’t aware that I might be able to see singed remnants of his military record. I’ll be planning a trip to St. Louis.

Louvre in January: no lines, especially weekdays. Paris MuseumPass=no lines, immediate entry (usually). I’ve never been able to visit St Chapelle independently, so will PAY A GUIDE TO GET ME IN NEXT TIME. I will also pay a guide for my next visit to the Vatican: admission before standard opening hour, small group. I’d…

respect for others, courtesy, humility make my encounters with locals more rewarding for me, a stupid American who has almost no language skill in any tongue.

i set my Instant Pot on a baking sheet which also holds a spoon and anything else i need. 

SoCal: our local recycle/redemption centers won’t accept bottles WITH caps.

Braised cabbage is my favorite veg side dish, something my mom served a lot. When my new husband said he didn’t like cabbage, i didn’t argue. His mom always stewed cabbage for hours.... it’s great left over with cottage cheese for lunch

Thanks, Emily: just found this in my post-xmas haze. Too bad NORAD didn’t provide a disclaimer, i.e., ‘Santa doubter may be answering phone’

Jacket/pants combo bought originally for European hiking trip. Wash at night, dry in the morning. As soon as I returned from that trip I bought two more sets. One set is black, the other two, olive pants/tan jacket. Two of those with four t’s/tanks, and I’m set for two weeks. I’m looking for the perfect skirt to add…

i bought mine in a period of transition (camping out during a whole house remodel). it took me a month to fully grasp the workings/methods (it might have taken less time if i had ingested less red wine in the process). i’m old and i live alone (in my fully remodeled house) and this pot is rarely in the cupboard. flan…

i wouldn’t let my sons have any toy ‘guns’ except water pistols. when gifted with a bb gun, i made it disappear over night. they crafted guns out of sticks and we talked about gun violence but, they loved to dress in camo and play soldier. they grew up to be gun control advocates. one son owns weapons but he is a…

in the ‘cop shop’ where i worked it was referred to as ‘cold calling’ with victim calling and cops recording...

i love my little cup warmer: i get up early, get my coffee and go back to bed with it and the newspaper. I’M RETIRED and i get to do what i want. this little doodad has made my golden years even better than before! of course if the Koch Bros succeed in fouling up my retirement, as they tried to do last year, i may not…