Super bowl vs Cold Rainy Season

In case you’ve failed to notice Super Bowl Sunday is just a few weeks away and cold drizzly/rainy days are upon us.  What do they have in common?  Food is the answer.  Tons of appetizers for the TV crowd and perhaps homemade soups for ones family on those evenings something special would cure the blues.  Chips and dips are common as is the tray of veggies with (dull for me) Ranch Dressing.  Ever thought of Roasted Brussel Sprouts or Roasted Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, they’re actually from Idaho.  As for soups I recently experienced two amazing soups, made from scratch!  Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque and Roasted Chestnut Soup which had a light spicy after taste.                                                     These are just four suggestions from hundreds of recipes, visible by category,  available on line at www.melissas.com.  There you’ll also find the latest in fresh and organic fruits and vegetables from around the world.  You might think about one of the gift baskets they make and deliver so upon arrival everything is perfectly ready for consumption.  Check out their web-site it’s full of the very latest info on what’s current in the produce and veggie market.  Melissa’s is located in Vernon and is not open to the public but you can find many of their specialty products packaged and available at many up-scale markets.                                                                                                Be it something special for the family or the crowd for a TV special event you’re going to find tons of free suggestions and recipes pleasing to all on the web at Melissa’s and that means smiles and thanks from everyone and that’s a nice way to end a day…from where I sit.

My Cherry Valley Get-Away

            I was informed my trip, to Cherry Valley, would take about three hours.

I plugged in my GPS and there was no such place on my mapping system.  I checked

with my cell-phone and it clearly gave me directions.  After a very brief one hour and thirty minutes I found myself on a very narrow road, surrounded by trailer

parks.  Was someone pulling my leg?  I checked with my phone again and it told me

I missed a turn…less then thirty seconds ago.  I backed up and searched seeing nothing but a dirt road.  Then I spotted, almost totally hidden behind some greenery, a sign, not much bigger then a sheet of paper.  Turn here it screamed

to me.  I turned and there-in began an incredible, memorable and for me

an educational visit.

            After a minute or two I had proceeded up the dirt road into a world I

thought could not possible exist so close to home.  I was about to discover Highland Springs Resort and guess what?  It’s located in Cherry Valley.

            I was much to early for dinner but I checked in at the reception desk and

was given a map of the grounds.  My adventure began.  I walked a short distance, past a Wedding/Reception Tent and found myself, face to face, with one of the largest pigs I had ever seen.  Although penned it looked vicious with two large

teeth, hanging from its mouth.  There were other pigs in the area and they

appeared very docile.  I talked to them and they actually, although cautiously,

approached.  I later learned all of the animals at the resort are organic.  Nature

provides feed and water and all are watched by caretakers to insure they

maintain a healthy life.  Walking a little more I encounter cows, sheep and llamas

all grazing on the hillside.  None are close enough to touch.

            I check my map and learn I am standing very close to a stagecoach stop

from another era.  They ran from Arizona to California and here they stopped

for drop off and to rest, perhaps change horses.

            Around a slight curve in my walkway, I came upon one of the most

majestic sights I have ever encountered.  Standing almost alone, an Oak Tree,

over one thousand years old.  Its trunk was as large as a VW Bug and one of

the lowest branches stretched out in such a manner it appeared to be a large

arm-chair, a perfect photo opportunity if one is smart enough to carry a

camera when they are visiting. 

            Take another turn and I’m walking along a path neatly surrounded by

Olive Trees.  One can’t help but step on the fruit that has dropped to the ground.

A few steps along this path and I’m hit with a chilling feeling.  I already know

where I am but the realization of what I am doing is, for me, truly exciting.  My

steps are literally duplicating those of Wyatt Earp, Irving Berlin, Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry, John Wayne, Elizabeth Taylor and Albert Einstein to name a few.  Historians report Berlin actually wrote a song about this place and they are trying to get a copy.

            Next I locate the area that brings thousand annually to this location.

Fields of Lavender, not yet blooming, but the plants are neatly spaced and

groomed, waiting for their time to explode with color.

            I never check out the other walking trails, the climbing wall, the pool house, tennis courts and the campfire area.  Did step into one of the spacious rooms, they

ooze with a comfortable warmth, are extremely clean and have been recently

upgraded.  The floors are wood and the walls lack the paintings one usually finds

in hotel rooms.  The bed appeared to be like a soft cloud beckoning you to climb

aboard and there are tables and chairs for those that want to relax and perhaps read, write or dine.

            Back in the main lodge, I’m sitting, enjoying an Iced Tea, when I learn

the restaurant is open and I can ignore my reservation, scheduled for two hours

later, and dine now, I took advantage of the opportunity.  The menu is filled

with locally grown or raised items, most of which are organic.  Supply and demand

prohibits the restaurant from claiming an ‘all organic’ menu, but the well trained

and extremely knowlegible staff quickly can inform you what is organic and more

important how every dish is prepared.  The menu is guided by availability and

features fresh greens and vegetables, meat, fish and fowl, combined with an array of herbs and spices expertly prepared. The staff will guide you through the menu with personal recommendations.  You will enjoy whatever you order but, don’t miss their

freshly brewed Lavender Iced Tea and the warm and delicious Jerusalem Artichoke Soup.  It’s not from Jerusalem and contains no artichoke.  It does deliver a great tasting creamy soup that you can’t forget.

            Visit the Highland Springs Resort web site at hsresort.com or call 951.845.1151.  They offer reasonable rates and it’s a perfect close by get-away.  You’re close enough to Palm Springs to drive over and enjoy the Palm Springs Follies.  The Lavender Festival is in the spring and in the summer they offer a Sausage and Beer Festival.  They don’t have facilities for pets, but a couple of miles down the main highway you’ll find the Doggie Spa and Resort.

            My journey back to Anaheim was less then an hour and the one memorable

thing I left out of this article is the amazing silence, no car or airplane noise, no

blaring music, the restaurant quietly serves up classic Dean Martin and as I walked

in total silence to my car, I realize what an incredible day I had spent, at once

calming, relaxing, combined with exceptional dining.  Then I look up into the

black night sky and I see hundreds, perhaps thousands, of stars twinkling bright

and for just a split second I think I can hear them blinking-silently.

  

Mother's Day 2015

One of the busiest days of the year for restaurants is headed our way, Sunday, May 10^th, Mother’s Day.

I suggest you make your reservations early and below are a few suggestions…

Anaheim White House…..menu

Grand Salon On The Queen Mary…..buffet

Tustin Ranch Golf Course Restaurant…..buffet

The Winery—Newport Beach-----menu

Hornblower Cruise:

              Marina del Rey…..buffet

              Newport Beach…..buffet

They offer several times and in Newport you have the opportunity to brunch on John Wayne’s Wild Goose Yacht.

The Ranch--Anaheim…..menu

Anaheim Hills Golf Course…..buffet

Renaissance,

          Manor Hotel, Hollywood…..menu

Misto, Torrance…..menu

Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, Tustin…..menu

Kincaid’s, Redondo Beach…menu

Le Fontainebleau,

Westgate Hotel, San Diego…..buffet

Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Coast…..menu

Admiral Risty, Rancho Palos Verdes…..menu

Newport Landing, Newport…..buffet

Mission Inn, Riverside…..buffet

Green Street Tavern, Pasadena…..menu

Harborside Restaurant, Newport….menu

Parkers’ Lighthouse, Long Beach…..buffet

Many of the above have accepted reservations already.

Please, if you make a reservation, keep it.

If you can’t make your reservation, not coming or going to be late, notify the restaurant.  Remember the restaurant has a table designated for you when you make a reservation…..if you fail to show it has lost a seating and worse yet, a wait person doesn’t have the opportunity to serve you and that should be a crime, at least from where I sit.

Dr. Schuller

Anaheim, decades ago….It’s Sunday, 9:15am, I’m at work.  My phone on the podium rings and the caller tells me she is an assistant to Dr. Schuller.  She makes a reservation for him and his family, a party of ten.  I have a cove type area at the front door and we stanchion it off for his party.

He arrives, smiling, looking sharp in his beautifully tailored suit, thanks me for the reservation and then studies the area I plan to seat him.  He points his family to the table and quietly tells me the area is perfect. The weekly requests began and were consistent in their arrival time.  I also received courtesy calls on the Sundays he and guests would not be coming.

A couple of years later I get a call at my home.  It sounded like the same voice and because I am so good at remembering names I had no idea who I was speaking with.  “Dr. Schuller would like you to be his guest for the opening night of  The Glory Of Christmas” she said.  Without hesitation I said yes. Arriving at The Chrystal Cathedral to pick up my tickets I found a note attached.  Please join us for a pre-show reception was the message and up the elevator to the office of Dr. Schuller my mother and I went.  There were many there that I knew and the Sparkling Cider was freely poured.  Finally someone asked that we all be seated and once that was done an announcement in a booming voice proclaimed “Ladies & Gentlemen, Dr. Robert Schuller.” He entered the room from behind his desk, sat down and perused the audience. He seemingly made eye contact with everyone in the room before he spoke.  His first words… “I know who you are, you’re Jim, so glad you could come!”  The next words heard broke the room from silence to loud laughter.  The words were those of my mother… “Oh my God, he knows you!” She looked at me and even more loudly proclaimed “He knows you!”

About two years ago, as a Past Chapter President of the Orange County Knights Of Columbus, I was invited to help with the first official tour of the Chrystal Cathedral property for Orange Diocesan Priests.  My job included escorting Bishop Brown into the property’s theatre.  As I did no-one really noticed who I was with.  His attire was casual, more a private sea captain then the Bishop of Orange.  As he walked up the stairs to the stage one could hear the priests…”It’s the Bishop.”, “It’s Bishop Brown”.  He warmly welcomed everyone and then said he would like us to welcome a special guest.  He then stepped off the stage and there was silence.  The curtains opened and seated stage left was Dr. Schuller.  He looked over the crowd, smiled and began to rise from his chair.  At that moment everyone was stunned.  He looked ill, thin, frail.  He walked slowly to  the podium placed his hands on either side and welcomed everyone.  He spoke softly as if searching for words.  Then you could see him grip the podium and he leaned forward.  He was now the man that began his career on the roof of a drive-in movie theatre.  He was dynamic in his final words.  He said he built the Crystal Cathedral as a gift to his God.  He expressed his happiness that his treasure was now in the hands of those attending and he said he was sure it would be raised to even greater heights.  He thanked everyone again and began back towards his chair.  An aid rushed to him guiding him then helped seat him.  The aid rushed off the stage and as the curtain closed Dr.Schuller observed a cheering, whistling, standing ovation.  He was smiling, his eyes bright, nodding in acknowledgment.

Dr.Schuller died recently…you had to be aware, it was headlines in newspapers everywhere.  Radio and television saturated us with his life story.  He was known all around the world.  He changed the lives of thousands with his Hour Of Power television shows. He will be laid to rest in the cemetery he created on the grounds of the now Christ Cathedral.  It has been administrated by the Bishop of Orange staff since day one. I’m bothered by what I haven’t heard, seen or read. Dr. Schuller left his life here on earth during the holiest week of the year. It was on Holy Thursday, two days prior to  Passover and three days before Easter.  I believe it is an interesting note, if fact I think it is very significant, at least from where I sit.