Christmas Office Parties

It’s Christmas and with the holidays parties as well.

What about office parties – not exactly one you are looking forward to.

What are office parties really all about?

Read on by clicking on the link below:

http://www.straight.com/life/541466/joseph-lopez-how-survive-office-holiday-parties

GREEN WITH ENVY ON BLACK FRIDAY

This Thursday November 28th, 2013, as in every fourth Thursday of every year, Americans celebrate their Thanksgiving.  In Canada, Thanksgiving is every second Monday of October.  The former is definitely Autumn and the latter can still be T-shirt weather.

Just like Canadians, for Americans Thanksgiving Day is typically this:

 

Then at the stroke of midnight, Black Friday begins and like Cinderella, a transformation:

 

 

 

For an explanation, see my article published online by The Georgia Straight

http://www.straight.com/news/536401/joseph-lopez-green-envy-black-friday#

A Joey

What a great shake!  My creation so I will call it a Joey.

Whatever was there that needs to be consumed soon, or else they will spoil, was dropped in a blender.   

To your taste:  rice crispies, cooled boiled burrito banana, peanut butter no added salt or sugar, half & half cream, frozen mango chucks (Philippine variety – the best in the world) and cream of coconut (the sweetened version – there is coconut cream, reverse wording, but this tells you no sugar added).    

You can add water but I didn’t.  Both creams took care of the liquid part.

Just the right thickness and creaminess  I wonder what a very light sprinkle of salt or cinnamon or nutmeg would do?

Tell me your variations.

NO PARKING in Telegraph Cove

The word cove evokes for me a 1950ish era: quaint colorful cottages, skiffs, window flower boxes, and a boardwalk.  It must be from the movies, TV shows (remember Cabot Cove?), and books that I have indulged in.  Telegraph Cove in the northeast corner of Vancouver Island will not disappoint.  

About a four-hour drive from Nanaimo on Highway 19, make a right on Beaver Cove Road (there will be signs) and head east for around 11 kilometers.  A former fishing and cannery village, Telegraph Cove acquired its name in 1911 when the Superintendent of Telegraphs scouting for a lineman's station found the naturally-protected cove ideal as the northern terminus for the telegraph line.  Since then, it has been referred to as Telegraph Cove.

Today, Telegraph Cove serves as the launching dock for kayakers, and tourists who are interested in sighting Orca whales that cruise Johnstone Strait during the summer.  

The entire old fishing village has been turned into a private resort.  This is where the pickle lies.  Never have I been to a relatively remote area where you cannot park your car on the side of any road (mostly gravel) within walking distance of the “village”.  There are “No Parking” signs even on grassy patches.  You have to drive quite a considerable distance away to find a spot without a “No Parking” sign.  To be able to park around the resort (and therefore the “village”), you have to check in as a guest or use the Pay Parking lot.  Pay Parking in nowhere?

I took the chance of parking near the General Store (a sign said for hotel guests only).  With the possibility of being towed, it was a brisk gander on the boardwalk where 1940s cottages perched on both sides have now been converted as rentals.  There are historic markers along the way.  At the end of the boardwalk is a museum: Whale Interpretive Centre – entry by CAD$ 3 donation only.  In British Columbia “donation” means you are obligated to give the minimum “suggested” amount.  So the term “donation”, i.e. a “gift or contribution” at your own volition, is not really a suggestion.  Why not correctly call it “entry fee”?

Unless you are a whale fan with a big budget, skip Telegraph Cove.   Whatever beauty it has, has been marred by commercialization.  There are other places in Vancouver Island worth your time and money.

FLIGHT ATTENDANTS: BEAUTY, BRAWN and ...

When I was a flight attendant (FA) we were trained and constantly tested on what we would do in case of an emergency like the July 6th Asiana crash landing in San Francisco.  One of the things we learned in training is that majority of accidents happen during take-off (20%) and landing (36%).  The drop in the sky phenomena is statistically 8% a rarity although the thought of it is horrifying. (Data source: www.planecrashinfo.com)

SADDEST QUIETEST MALL IN THE WORLD

Thunderbird Mall at the end of the road Port Hardy, Vancouver Island.

I took this pictures on a Saturday afternoon.

Spaces have not been leased for years

PORT HARDY Vancouver Island

At 6:51 am I boarded the #19 bus and later transferref to 257 (or you can take the 250) on my way to the BC Ferry Terminal at Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver. 

DRIVING A CONVERTIBLE

I cannot claim to have driven the great cars in the world but I can certainly boast

KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS

 

It has been in my mind for months.  Everytime I passed by local bakeries, I reminisce about the melt in your mouth pillow soft Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

So I made it a point to have a Krispy Kreme on my next sojourn to the Seattle-Tacoma area, where there are three Krispy Kreme retail cafes.  The one I went to early morning, for breakfast!, on May 2, 2013 was at 4302 Tacoma Mall Boulevard, Tacoma.

I had the Original Glazed Doughnut, which in batches were coming out of the oven right before my eyes.  I requested one that was still warm with the glaze.  And it was several seconds of yummy bliss.  An original glazed doughnut is around 44 grams containing 11 grams of sugar.  Calorie Count: 160.  Ate two more!

Krispy Kreme’s yeast-raised doughnut was a recipe by a French chef based in New Orleans.  In 1933, Vernon Rudolph bought the recipe and peddled the doughnuts on his bike in Paducah, Kentucky.  The operation then moved to Nashville, Tennessee.  In 1937 Mr. Rudolph relocated to Winston-Salem, North Carolina where he began selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts to local grocery stores on July 13 of that year.  The company has been there ever since.  The recipe for the Original Glazed has remained unchanged.

The other famous doughnut is Dunkin’ Donuts founded in 1950 in the state of Massachusetts where it is still based.  A Dunkin Glazed Donut is much heavier at 100 grams containing 12 grams of sugar.  Calorie Count: 260

Just to let you know the official dictionary spelling is “doughnut” although “donut” which has been in used since the late 1800s now appears in a third of American published writing. 

SALE! CLEARANCE! REALLY?

If ever there are sale terms one must be skeptical of, first and foremost is the word SALE.

RAW HONEY – AN ELIXIR?

 

You can buy these at Whole Foods

THAI IN SEATTLE

Those are wooden penguins at your left - kinda odd

Voted one of the best Thai restaurants in Seattle.


I agree.


Always a wait but worth it.

Located at University Drive, University of Washiington, Seattle

Under US$8.00, this Phad Thai unusually served with jasmine rice is superb.

It was so engrossing watching the cook right in front of you.  It can be a bit hot with the flames.

FRENCH TOAST WITH WHISKEY in Mapleton Oregon

Although the Oregon Coast is one of the most scenic drives in North America, and I have gone up and down several times, I needed to do some big mall shopping in Eugene so I had to veer off Florence and drive east inland on Highway 126.  This is real backcountry mostly trees, rivers and creeks. 

About after 15 miles, I passed by what you can say is somewhat downcast looking town of Mapleton, next to the Siuslaw River.  Clean but like a depot. In fact it is a train depot.

There was a very uninviting café, but deep inside me, I was suspecting the place might be holding some pleasant surprises. “Do not judge a book by its cover.”

So parked I did, went inside Mapleton Depot Cafe and saw only a father and son.   

Mistake?  

A lady smilingly showed me the menu.

"What is a Bushmills French Toast?"

"It’s batter has Bushmills Irish Whiskey"   

 "Really?"

Although I am driving, “go for it.” 

I was drinking water - whiskey bottle was on the table for you to see.

I knew the alcohol would evaporate in the cooking.

It was terrific!  I can taste and smell a hint of the whiskey in the French Toasts.  At $6.50 and no tax (this is Oregon remember), the plate with bacon and maple syrup was a treat.  Mapleton was named after the maple trees surrounding the area.

Bushmills is brewed and distilled in Northern Ireland.  The Depot Café uses Triple Distilled with 40 % alcohol!

Gave me an idea, next time I make my own French Toast (which is very rare), I can incorporate liqueurs like Grand Marnier Orange & Cognac, or Kahlua Rum Coffee or Malibu Rum Coconut – whatever serves my fancy.  I don’t think beer will work.

A door at one side of the café leads to a long liquor bar with pool tables – there was nobody there in the morning.   

                                                        


Only 900 plus people live in Mapleton.  This is real America, friendly folks, decent mark ups, and clean fresh air inspite of all the train gears on the rail track side.

A bit of an FYI

There was an original Mapleton Depot built in 1913.  The depot building was relocated to Florence’s Old Town area and is now a restaurant called The Waterfront Depot -  1252 Bay Street

Mattie's Pancake House in Brookings Oregon

Shortly after crossing the California Oregon Border – the beginning of my early morning north drive on the scenic coastal Highway 101, I spotted a distinctly blue and white Mattie’s Pancake House.    Perfect! 

I requested to be sitted at the counter table facing the kitchen – I wanted to see the action.  Since it called itself a Pancake House – pancake it will be or something close.  I ordered Swedish Crepe with Lingonberry Butter  (US$7.25).   For some subconscious reason, I had to have Swedish.

Was the bluish Swedish flag in the inner recesses of my cerebrum?

Or was it my curiosity on the Lingonberry –a tart red berry less bitter than their relative cranberry.  

I found out that Mattie’s Pancake House has been serving breakfast and lunch since 1981.  No dinners and closed on Sundays.  It opens at 6 am and last order is at 1:45 pm (Mondays to Saturdays).  See their 2 page web site with a most unusual location detail – in terms of Latitude = 42.0421 (4 decimal places!) and Longitude = -124.2496 (westward).  And no address or telephone number unless you click on the map link.  

The Swedish Crepe was good.  Mattie’s certainly deserves its local Reader’s Choice Award for Best Breakfast for a number of years.

Truly Mattie’s  is genuine Americana – friendly warm smiling service, American cooking touch even though my order was called Swedish, and the menu prices – affordable, decent mark ups.  Gave a higher than normal tip (no taxes to begin with – remember this is Oregon).  Next time I am in the area, I am coming back.