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With the Foodie Freak columns I want to help people discover places and foods they may not have experienced before and to save money when cooking at home. So when I made a recent change at home I thought it was something that I wanted pass on.
Theresa is a cashier at my local mega-mart and she has become accustomed to hearing me moralize about making everything myself. One day when I purchased pre-packaged macaroni and cheese in a box, she looked at me as if I was purchasing a dirty magazine and seemed a tad disappointed in me. I laughed uncomfortably and said, maybe a little too loudly, “My wife and daughter like this stuff!” Theresa smiled and went back to scanning my groceries.
It’s not that I’m an elitist snob that only eats truffles and caviar; I just prefer to make foods myself and from scratch. If you make food yourself at home you can make it healthier than the pre-made pre-packaged items you find on the store shelves – to me even salad dressing tastes better if it doesn’t come out of a jar or bottle.
It pains me to see families with shopping carts full of boxed dried “meals” and I just want to tell them, “You can make that same dinner at home, almost just as easily, with less fat, less salt, and for pennies on the dollar – think how much more money you could have in your pocket every month!”
And then one day I was making tacos at home and thought, “Why do I keep buying these packets of taco seasoning? There must be a better way!” Spices are expensive, and spice mixes are even worse. After all, not only are you paying for the individual spices, but then you’re paying someone to mix them together and put them in all new pretty packaging.
So I started researching taco seasonings and experimenting with what I liked best, and here’s the funny part: I also wanted to experiment with fajitas seasonings and started to look for a fajita spice recipe – and found that they were basically the exact same spices as the taco seasoning recipes! So why buy a packet that says “taco seasoning” and another packet that says “fajita seasoning” when you can mix up your own jar of spices to your own taste and use it for whatever type of meal you’re having?
Once I experimented a bit and felt I had a great taco seasoning put together I made tacos for lunch for my daughter’s school. I also threw together a fairly simple taco sauce just for fun. Later, the students and teachers were begging for the taco sauce recipe, and I didn’t remember how I made it! So I had to spend a while playing around with different ideas and think that I have finally recreated it, and have included it here for you to try.
The taco seasoning recipe I have included will season one pound of ground beef. As a time saver you can make it in quadruple batches and then just use 1/4 cup taco seasoning to 1 pound cooked drained ground beef and 1/4 cup of water. The seasoning mixture will hold its flavor well for three months.
One of the spices I included in the taco spice mixture is smoked paprika and I can’t recommend it highly enough to you. It adds a new dimension to dishes that I can’t live without now. Not only does it improve taco seasoning but goulash, ratatouille and osso bucco all become dishes fit for royalty when adding some smoked paprika. It’s available at many local mega-marts so look for it on the spice rack on your next shopping trip.
Readers may have noticed that I rarely list salt in my recipes and the reason for that is just that salt is such a subjective flavor, and with its health/diet issues I prefer you make salt decisions in your own home. For me, these recipes are fully flavorful enough.
In an effort to share these (in my opinion) fantastic seasonings and sauce with the world, I’ve tried to get commercial kitchen/bottling companies to take my recipes and start a line of specialty food products, but they either want thousands of dollars up front or they don’t return my calls or letters at all. So my failure to start a line of specialty foods is now your benefit. Here are my recipes for taco seasonings and sauce.
Taco/Fajita seasoning
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/4 cup water
For tacos
1 pound ground beef
Mix all of the dry ingredients and set aside. Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain any excess fat. Return to heat and add spice mixture and water, stir until well mixed and slightly thickened (about one minute). Remove from heat and serve.
For fajitas
1 pound sliced beef strips
Mix all of the dry ingredients and set aside. Brown your favorite fajita beef strips, then add grilled onions, bell peppers, seasoning mix, 1/4 cup water and the juice of one lime, cook until onions and peppers are slightly softened.
Taco sauce
1 can (7.5 oz) Chipotles in Adobo
1-15 ounce bottle (1 and 1/2 cups) raspberry vinegar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cloves of garlic
Add all ingredients (including the adobo sauce) together in a blender and blend until very smooth (i.e., give it at least a minute). Pour through a strainer or mesh to remove seeds. Pour into storage containers (once washed, the raspberry vinegar bottle acts as a perfect serving vessel) and refrigerate over night to let the flavors meld. Makes about three cups, and will keep in refrigerator well for several months. You can hold back the adobo sauce that the chipotles come in from the recipe for a milder sauce, and also to make it even milder you might wish to add some ketchup. As the recipe is written the sauce is spicy to the taste but without being overwhelming while inside a taco.
Ross A. Christensen is an award-winning gardener and gourmet cook. He is the author of "Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide" and is currently working on a new book. He has been a public speaker for many years and enjoys being involved in the community.
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
The idea behind this program is to introduce students to the idea of attending college while still in elementary school. At each monthly assembly a different college is highlighted.
The first of the year was UC Davis. Students were given lots of information about UC Davis in the form of fun facts. They learned that the college was opened in 1908, thus celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year.
In addition students learned about top programs of study at the university, including art, law, viticulture, medicine and firefighting. Students were most interested to hear about all the sports teams and facilities, including a hockey rink, indoor soccer arena, swimming pools and much more.
“At last year's strategic planning meeting we were discussing the needs of the district and how to address those needs,” said Minnie Cannon Principal Tom Hoskins. “One of the primary district directions was to adequately prepare Middletown Unified School District students for college. The idea of College Talk came from that need. We hope that it will enlighten students about the opportunities available to them after high school. We believe that this knowledge will be valuable in helping students make informed choices.”
Hoskins added that the College Talk assemblies will also include information about trade schools and other post high school options. Some members of his staff are including field trips to the featured colleges as part of their yearly plans. He also is exploring the idea of having former MUSD students who are attending or have attended featured colleges to join the assemblies.
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The end of October means Halloween and several of the schools marked the day with celebrations.
At Coyote Valley principal Walt Campbell reports that 11 classrooms were open to trick or treaters and that between 100 and 200 children came through. He was especially pleased that many Middletown Middle and Middletown High School students volunteered to "man" the doors.
At Middletown Middle School Halloween marked the end of Spirit Week. Spirit Week is five days of dress-ups, lunch time activities and finally a Friday rally.
At the Friday rally three students Jacob Gill (guitar and vocals), Landon Bracisco (guitar and vocals) and Reid Carpenter (drums) entertained their classmates with three songs including an original piece and AC/DC's “TNT.” No name yet for this band.
* * * * *
At the November board meeting held at Coyote Valley, District Superintendent Dr. Korby Olson read and presented proclamations to retired classified and certified employees.
On hand to receive recognition were Shirley Strumph (7 years), Kathy Toy (+20), Nikke Deacon (+20), Joe Mathews (25) and Bob Norris (25).
Others retiring but not in attendance were Bob Pratt (10), Bonnie Albertson (9), Nancy Jones (23) and Dennis Jensen (27).
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Congrats to Middletown High School junior Lisa Copeland. She is the first ever Lake County high school student (boy or girl) to advance to the Northern California CIF Golf Championships. To advance to the NorCals, Lisa had to work her way through three different qualifying tournaments.
Lisa is awesome on the golf course, but also sports a 4.9 GPA and does volunteer tutoring when not on the course.
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There will be lots on new construction going on at all of the district schools over the next few years.
First affected will be on the main campus in early November. The drop-off area/circle in front of Minnie Cannon will be used as an equipment storage area for the construction crews. This will cause some traffic disruptions and changes in parking for the near future.
Similar upgrades can be expected at other locations around the district over the next couple years.
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Minnie Cannon recently hosted a family science night. MC received a grant to bring the hands-on science night to our community in conjunction with the Explorit Science Museum in Davis.
Fifteen hands-on stations were available for students to interact with. Exhibits included optical illusions, engineering(building bridges and kites), electro static (a hair-raising good time), and an anatomy station where students could touch a real sheep's heart and lungs (with gloves of course).
MC student council provided science prizes from Funtopia that were raffled off every 15 minutes. MC teacher, Lisa Guerrero, was responsible for writing the grant and organizing the event.
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Loconoma teacher, Cindy Weber, reports that two students have completed their graduation requirements. James Lemon and William Werder finished all requirements and will graduate this quarter. They will also return for formal commencement ceremonies on June 9, 2009.
Bob Norris is a 32-year Lake County retired teacher who lives on Cobb. He will be writing regular updates on the activities within the Middletown Unified School District.
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- Written by: Bob Norris
LAKE COUNTY – Could Lake County's congressman become the next secretary of the interior?
Congressman Mike Thompson was reelected to his First Congressional District seat earlier this month by an overwhelming majority. He's due to begin serving his sixth term in January.
However, the 57-year-old Thompson (D-St. Helena) could be moving on up from his Cannon Office Building address in Washington, DC, to a cabinet position if a proposal made this week is considered by President-elect Barack Obama.
Some of Thompson's colleagues in the California Congressional Delegation, including Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez), sent a letter to Obama's transition team asking that Thompson be considered for the Secretary of the Interior post in the new president's cabinet.
“Mike Thompson is immensely qualified to be Interior Secretary,” Miller said in a prepared statement. “He has a strong base of support in the conservation, environmental and outdoors community. He is knowledgeable about the issues. And he is a person of great integrity and commitment to public service.”
A coalition of conservation and wildlife groups, including Ducks Unlimited, also have reportedly contacted Obama's team to push for Thompson's appointment, according to the Associated Press.
In a statement issued by his office, Thompson said, “It’s an honor to be recognized by the many groups I’ve worked with over the years, but no one associated with President-elect Obama has contacted me.”
According to a Friday Washington Post article, there's already another contender for the interior secretary post – Congressman Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), son of a migrant worker and chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, who has an established record on environmental issues.
Thompson, who owns a vineyard in Finley and is an outdoorsman, has a record on conservation issues and protection of endangered species.
His supporters believe that an interview Obama gave Field and Stream magazine, which was published in September, bodes well for a Thompson nomination. In the interview, Obama stated, “I think that having a head of the Department of Interior who doesn't understand hunting and fishing would be a problem. And so my suspicion is that whoever heads up the Department of Interior is probably going to be a sportsman or sportswoman.”
One of Thompson's most notable conservation achievements was the passage of the Northern California Coastal Wild Heritage Wilderness Act, which President Bush signed into law in October 2006.
The legislation gave wilderness status to 275,830 acres in the First Congressional District – with 51,671 acres in Lake County, around the Cache Creek and Snow Mountain areas.
Victoria Brandon, chair of the Sierra Club Lake Group, worked with Thompson on the wilderness legislation.
Responding to Thompson's name being put forward for the cabinet posted, Brandon said Friday, “As far as I know the Sierra Club has not taken a position on this possible appointment, and I personally am of two minds: Thompson would undoubtedly be a superb Secretary of the Interior, but the thought of losing him as our Congressman is dismaying to say the least.”
On species protection issues, Thompson has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration, particularly its handling of the Klamath River fish die-off, which claimed an estimated 80,000 salmon.
Thompson and 35 fellow members of Congress from California and Oregon submitted to House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., a request in June of 2007 for an investigation into Vice President Dick Cheney's involvement in policy decisions that resulted in the 2002 fish kill.
He also successfully worked to get legislation passed to assist the struggling salmon industry with more than $60 million in emergency funding in the summer 2007.
The following month, Thompson and Miller were part of a special congressional panel that convened in Vallejo to look at the issues facing the Bay-Delta.
During the half day of testimony, Thompson questioned a Department of the Interior official at length regarding an administration official's possible interference in policy decisions regarding the delta smelt.
The official, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Operations Manager for the California/Nevada Office Steve Thompson, said he couldn't answer Thompson’s question regarding political influence because the Department’s Inspector General was investigating the potential manipulation of scientific evidence from the Bay-Delta.
Steve Thompson did say during questioning by the congressman that the investigation involved the former deputy assistant secretary, Julie MacDonald, who had resigned under pressure from another investigation that May.
Congressman Thompson also opposed the Bush administration's July proposal to drill along the Outer Continental Shelf, saying it wouldn't increase the oil supply for years and was potentially disastrous for the ecosystem.
“Our district’s coast is rich in marine resources that have tremendous value to our local economy. An oil spill would be devastating to the coastal economy and its unique ecosystem,” he said at the time.
Another factor working in Thompson's favor for cabinet consideration is that he and Obama have a track record of working together on issues important to them, and have been of similar mind about their opposition to the handling of the Iraq War.
In January of 2007, Obama and Thompson introduced legislation in the Senate and House, respectively, to get the US out of Iraq. The Iraq War De-Escalation Act set deadlines for redeploying US troops. The legislation did not pass.
Thompson also told Lake County News during an interview last month that he and Obama had a phone conversation on the issue of the financial bailout before a second and final vote was taken to pass the legislation.
Initially, when Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton were running for president, Thompson said either would make a great leader for the country. He formally endorsed Clinton but later embraced Obama after he won the nomination and pledged his support.
Brandon's concern about losing Thompson in Congress broaches an important point – if he were to resign his seat for the cabinet, how would his seat be filled?
The US Constitution requires that, if a seat in Congress becomes vacant resignation, death or refusal to serve, a special election must be held. In the case of the Senate, state legislatures may provide for a state governor making a temporary appointment until a special election is scheduled.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
Gillham, 53, was sent to Iraq last summer on his second year-long deployment to that country as a member of the Oregon National Guard, as Lake County News has reported.
While in Iraq, he suffered a transient ischemic attack – or a TIA, according to interim city manager, Kevin Burke.
“We can confirm that he has suffered a noncombat-related injury,” said Capt. Stephen Bomar of the Oregon National Guard.
According to the American Heart Association, a TIA is a warning or mini-stroke that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage because of its extremely short duration.
The condition is caused when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery, keeping blood from a part of the brain. TIAs average about one minute in duration.
Symptoms include sudden numbness in the face, leg or arm, on one side of the body; confusion; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; trouble walking; dizzyness; loss of balance or coordination; and sudden, severe headache.
TIAs are considered extremely important predictors of strokes, the American Heart Association reported. Although most strokes aren't associated with TIAs, more than a third of the people who have one or more TIAs later experience an actual stroke.
A few days after having the TIA, Gillham fell, injuring several discs in his back which may require back surgery, said Burke.
Earlier this year Gillham has said he'd recently had back surgery previously for other back problems he has suffered.
Gillham received medical treatment in Iraq and Europe, said Bomar. “He is en route back home at this time.”
Burke said Gillham is now back in the United States at a hospital at Fort Lewis, Wash.
Bomar said Gillham remains on active duty status, but he did not know how long the transition might take for Gillham to return to Lakeport.
“That all depends on what happens,” said Bomar. “They will provide him the best medical care available.”
Burke said Gillham is set to meet with doctors to follow up on the diagnosis.
The city has so far received no other updates from Gillham or his family on the city manager's condition or when he might eventually return to his post at the city, Burke said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson