So Cal Gal

about me

My husband and I live in southern California with our four critter children, and lots of family and friends nearby. We are both natives of this state; he is originally from the northern part, and I grew up in the southern part (San Diego). California is a truly beautiful place--with incredible beaches, mountains, coastal chaparral, and deserts--and we both feel very fortunate to live here (well, except when there's an earthquake...then almost anywhere else would be better!).

Of all the things I love to do, I love spending time with our four critter children most. We have one senior kitty (he's the last of four stray cats we've adopted over the years; the other three have since passed on, all at a ripe old age), and one senior dog and her two four-year-old daughters (we didn't know mom-dog was pregnant when we adopted her!). They are all pure love in a fur/hair coat--and are the cutest, sweetest, smartest critter babies ever (I'm not biased--lol)!

I also really enjoy reading, gardening, sewing, knitting, walking, cooking and baking (especially baking!), shopping in health food stores, and, of course, being here on Recipezaar! Lately I've been doing more cooking and baking than usual in an effort to find more recipes to post to my Zaar "Public Recipes". Since I'm only comfortable posting recipes I've tried, am impressed with, and would make again, I usually try out several recipes for every one I post; it takes awhile, but it's great fun! I would love to thank everyone who has taken the time to make, review, and even photograph some of these recipes--I appreciate it very much! And an extra big thank you to Sydney Mike for adopting me in the fall '08 PAC--what a kind gesture!

Favorite Foods:

Some of my favorite foods of all times have been...

...the truly amazing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that my mom made for us every year when I was growing up--no restaurant has ever served better food (my mom has never really liked to cook--but she's a much better cook than she thinks she is!).

...the best-ever, unbelievably tasty, chicken and vegetable stew that my dad often made for supper when I was a kid--he could make even the least expensive piece of chicken taste wonderful (my dad loves to cook and he's really good at it!).

...the world's biggest, juciest, most amazingly delicious apricots; grown in my own childhood backyard--and shared under the apricot tree by my three younger brothers and I (with liberal amounts of laughter and giggling!).

...the fragrant home-made bread, topped with fresh butter and out-of-this-world home-made blackberry jam (made from home-grown blackberries)--that my Canadian aunt served us while we were visiting her farm during a childhood vacation--plus all of the huge, fresh, juicy blackberries she let us eat (a nicer aunt has never existed; I would gladly trade cheesecake for this--and I LOVE cheesecake!).

...the soft, oily, flavorful, amazing piece of cheese--given to me by my closest college gal pal, upon her return to America from her only trip home to Cyprus in four years (she was an excellent cook with flawless taste--and that was undoubtedly the most incredible piece of cheese I've ever eaten!).

...the fantastic, melt-in-your-mouth, sweet and spicy ginger cookies my husband made several years ago during the holidays (my husband is a man of many talents, but cooking and baking don't usually interest him--who knew he could do this?!).

...the perfect, sun-kissed, vine-ripened tomatoes, Concord grapes, and boysenberries my husband and I have grown in our own backyard over the years--and the unbelievably good boysenberry pies and jam I've made from some of those home-grown boysenberries (even Knott's Berry Farms boysenberry pies and jam pale in comparison!).

...the five star, totally amazing foods--too many to name--that I've made from recipes I've found here on Recipezaar (recipes, generously contributed by other Zaar members, that have made me into a culinary hero in my own home! Thank you all!).

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