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MOUNT BALDY SKIING

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:33:00 +0000

Mount Baldy got powder dumped and the skiers turned out in force this past weekend. My friend Chris turned 40 and invited 20 of us up to join him at an affordable hostel cabin: approximately 20 bunks on the women's side and 20 bunks on the men's side. Couple's often bunk together on either side. Tip: the women's side is one floor above the living room fireplace so warmer.

My friend Dave aka DAK took the gorgeous outdoor photos. He is a pro photographer as you can tell. Check out his amazingly beautiful unique photos. He is an artist with the camera.

We all stayed together at the huge log cabin Harwood Inn, which is only open for Saturday night stays. If you are a Sierra club member you pay $12 and if you are not a member you pay $15. It is a lovely cabin next to the Zen center and across the street from Snow Crest Lodge (bar and restaurant), which sell many tummy warming dishes including my two favorites: hot rum toddys (coffee added on request - Bunn coffeemakers) and steaming hot fresh cheese or chicken tamales covered in homemade red sauce. ($4.00). Fantastic!

There is a great kitchen at Harwood Inn. It is totally organized and labeled for pots, lids, openers, utensils, etcetera! It has a cabinet near the huge gas stove that is filled with spices and oils for anyone to use. The pantry has three refrigerators! With so many of us coming, Chris organized who brought what, and hence, there was lots of great food. The party began by the fireplace with four couches and many chairs encircling the fireplace with a nice big round wood coffee table. It was chilly, so I stayed in my warm ski clothes! I was soon warmed by the fire and the companionship of many.

The munchies hit us all. Some folks brought hummus dip, guacamole dip, and spinach/cheese dip with crackers, breads and vegetables for appetizers. Red and white wine, beer, and bubbly water were brought by others to share. There were a few other couples there on their own that became a part of our festivities. It was a warm interesting mingling of people.

Satiated by the appetizers some of us realized many of us would have gone to bed happy. Picking up the cuisine baton some decided the gluttony must not yet end and made a huge spaghetti dinner with fresh salad and garlic bread (meatballs on the side so the vegetarians were set as well). We all moved into the kitchen to line up and serve ourselves, and we settled together in the spacious dining room by the wood burning stove. It was fantastic and even warmer.

After dinner, we moved back into the woodsy living room. For dessert Dave brought out a chocolate cake, sprinkled with coconut to simulate the snow theme, and then we sang the infamous 'happy birthday' song to Chris.

That night eight of us headed to Snow Crest Lodge across the street. They have a huge fireplace that really warms the place nicely, a friendly bartender, juke box music, darts, and a pool table. We played some games and chatted up some locals. A hot scotch toddy is great after a cold walk through the snow at midnight I have to say.

Mt. Baldy ski tickets are typically $54, but this year early in the season they offered season passes for $50! Now they have gone up to $200, but the season pass is something to keep in mind and a tip for next year's possibilities. If you have a season pass and a reservation you breeze past long ticket lines, which can typically take an hour or more to wait through on a big dump day especially if you are there for a discount offer. This past weekend there were two major offers.

1) if you make a reservation in advance (which costs nothing to do) there was a half price ticket offer. The reservations were full by Thursday prior, so plan ahead.

2) On Friday 98.7 radio station announced that if you bring in four Guru energy drink cans you can come for FREE on Sunday! We got some at Ralph's grocery store.

Crazy Ottos Restaurant Review / Veg Abby Heart Tip

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 02:32:00 +0000

Crazy Otto's Restaurant

43528 20th St W. (661) 948-6502
1228 W Avenue I (661) 940-9177 (This location in the review and pictures)
Lancaster, CA

I love Crazy Otto's restaurant. It is an icon going back to my childhood days. My memory is a bit fuzzy as I want to say the restaurant was located in a converted train car, but I could be wrong. It was located near the train tracks, and the owner had an innovative way of turning a negative into a positive for the customers. Every time a train would go by the customers located at the bar nearest the greatest disturbance got the chance to spin and see if they would get their meal for free. You can imagine how customers began looking forward to the train coming by instead of dreading it. Those not involved in the contest enjoyed the entire spectacle greatly. A mini choo choo train was installed around the inside of the restaurant that was activated to go around the top of the room and was a part of the shenanigans. It was great fun.

Now the train is just a part of the logo in the newly located establishments harkening back to those beginnings. Hailey in the picture below is my favorite waitress at my favorite Avenue I restaurant location. The service is friendly and fast.

The food portions are LARGE as you can see in the photo below. I got the Hobo Scramble, which is eggs (egg white substitute available), hash browns, onions, bell pepper and mushrooms combined. I think the mushrooms might be canned and that would be my only criticism though the taste doesn't seem to suffer. It is delicious. The portion was so large however that I ate 1/5 of the meal and had 4 more breakfasts at home with it! The breakfasts range from about $5 to $10. Smaller portions are available, but for an extra buck or two it seems worth getting the larger portion to eat later.

Another happy customer. I've had the eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce on english muffins with hashbrown as well and found it alarmingly yummy. I split that breakfast with a companion, and we ate it all. Mmmm. My friends often get an omelette and recommend those as well. Count on leftovers unless you split your meal.

The coffee is Farmer brothers, which frankly is my least favorite, so I wish they would get some better coffee beans to roast up. They use commercial coffeemakers similar to Bunn-o-matic automatic coffee brewers. The brewers are excellent, but coffee choice is an equal partner if not greater influence in a great cup of joe. They do sell espressos and lattes using Rosito Bisani specialty coffee. Thumbs up.

Dear Veg Abby Healthy Heart Tip of the Day:
There is a new product offered called Cholest-off. It advertises that the cholesterol comes off as one uses it. The main ingredient seems to be plant sterols, which I like the sound of myself. I began taking it as high cholesterol runs in my family, and I have to say I think it helps. Two pills twice a day is the dosage. Ideally, a diet low in fats will be the most beneficial cure (vegan or raw), but it doesn't hurt to have a healthy side kick to help the healing process.

A minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic activity several times a week is also very helpful in lowering stress and cholesterol. Yoga is a great way to maintain flexibility and avoid injuries as well, especially as one gets older. I have a several dogs and I especially notice how they stretch first thing every time they rise from a resting position. I've adopted this same practice and find it very enjoyable as well as a pleasant gentle way to welcome the day in the morning. I'd recommend one stretch in bed before one even rises especially if it is cold as it is in my home.

Combine yoga and healthy eating habits along with your juicing and feel years younger. Veg Abby vegetarian, vegan, raw recipes and juicing recipes lead the way to healthy living.

MANHATTAN BEACH HOLIDAY FIREWORKS AND THE PERFECT ESPRESSO FINISH

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 06:37:00 +0000

My friend Frank, who lives in Manhattan Beach, had a get together tonight at his place overlooking the pier where there was to be a gorgeous holiday firework show at 6:30pm. The whole wall by the dining and livingroom is glass, so the pier show would be easy to see and a lot less cold than having to walk down the strand.

We enjoyed many "Frank"-tastic gourmet delights such as fresh homemade tomato basil soup, white yam mashed potatoes, sauteed shitake mushrooms, spinach salad with strawberries and papaya, grilled salmon, proscuitto rolled-up on melon, chicken potstickers, and many other dessert delights such as cookies and homemade flan. The flan was simply amazing. It tasted more like cinnamon cheesecake. It was less gelatinous and more airy like cheesecake. I ate two pieces!

Around 6:40pm one guest got a bit panicked that we may have missed the firework show. It was suppose to start at 6:30pm and was known to start on time. She worried we simply could not see the firework display from our location. The guests got a bit nervous and some began peering around outside, one walked out the door to get closer to the pier and see, and I began searching Twitter and the internet on my iphone. The tension began to grow over the next couple minutes. Disappointment was beginning to loom as a possible outcome, then wham, bam the fireworks starting flying and the worry turned to joy. I think we were more ecstatic than ever due to the preliminary drama that we had somehow missed the show.

After the fantastic fireworks Frank asked if anyone wanted coffee or tea. Several of us, despite the hour for a Sunday night, opted for espresso. He made the most flavorful cup of espresso with a dash of creme. It was so mellow and delightful I had to snoop around. He had Illy pods. I asked where he got them. It turns out
Costco sells "illy" espresso pods that work great with a single/double cup espresso maker machine. Illy is Italian, and so the espresso is Italian as well. The Italian in attendance agreed it was a lovely espresso. His machine I found was a Breville Cafe Roma espresso machine and loves it. It made a delicious, tasty espresso that is not too strong but filled with a smooth delightful flavor.

He had a larger model Breville and returned it for a smaller model because it fit perfectly in his cupboard whereas the pricier model did not fit by an inch. Size does matter when it comes to storing appliances comfortably in the kitchen. An organized kitchen is easy to keep neat, so I think it is a good tip to measure the space you are thinking of keeping your new coffeemaker and keep those dimensions in mind when shopping, especially online where returning a product may not be as convenient.

BONE UP WITH VEG ABBY / COFFEE GIRL SAYS PUMPKIN PANCAKES ARE FALLING IN A SUNDANCE

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Dear Veg Abby Healthy Bones Tip of the Day:

A great way to get calcium from greens is juicing. Kale is the best leafy green to juice or eat for high calcium content. It has approximately 200 mg. per cooked serving, so juice 5 servings and get 1000 mg. of calcium, which is the recommended daily requirement according to the USDA for women 35-50. Younger adult women need 1200 and older adult women require 1500 mg. Children require 800 mg. and infants 600 mg. Women require more calcium than men due to frequent hormonal changes and times of pregnancy. Kale is a low oxalate leafy green and those absorb calcium the best along with some vitamin D. Enjoy 15 minutes a day in the sun as Vitamin D bone nutrition. Spinach is a high oxalate green so is not as easily absorbed into the bones.

Bone Up and Stay Bone Healthy!

PUMPKIN PANCAKES ARE FALLING IN A SUNDANCE

Griddle up some pumpkin pancakes this Thanksgiving month. You can either buy pumpkin pancake mix or add some pumpkin spice to your ordinary pancake batter and make them extra special.

An even better idea is to heat up the waffle maker and pour the pumpkin batter in. Pop out fresh smelling orangy pumpkin waffles. I like to use agave syrup on mine. Some people I know like to sprinkle chocolate chips on top AND in the batter in the waffle maker. I think pumpkin chips would be neat to add if I could find any.

What are delicious pumpkin waffles without a cup of pumpkin coffee? Just add pumpkin spice into your coffee bean grind and brew up in your best coffeemaker. Pour a cup of pumpkin coffee and dash a sprinkle of some more pumpkin spice on top. Inhale, exhale, enjoy.

This coffee cup says "Sundance" but it appears backwards in the photo. Sundance Film Festival is coming up in January next year. Now is the time to start planning your trip if you want to go and enjoy skiing, bars, parties, and movie-going amongst independent filmmakers, actors, and some stars. The films shown are the new and upcoming films that may or may not make it to the box office depending on if they land distribution at places like this festival. It is an easygoing Hollywood crowd on vacation together basically. Good and goofy times for all to be had. Think about it.

HOLIDAY COFFEE IS UPON US / VEG ABBY HEART HEALTHY TIP

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:43:00 +0000

Dear Veg Abby Healthy Heart Tip of the Day:
Garlic.
Add Garlic to your juicing recipes.
Buy garlic pills at the store and take them. If you get the ones with parsley added then it will help eliminate the garlic breath odor. You can also just eat some parsley with your garlic.

Get your cholesterol levels checked especially if you have hit your 40's. You might be surprised. Even vegetarians get high cholesterol from eating dairy and eggs. Vegans do not get high cholesterol unless they are overdoing the avocado, coconut, and roasted nuts and seeds.

Be Heart Healthy! Many people love you.

HOLIDAY COFFEE IS UPON US

Don't you just love the holidays? Whatever religion you are or aren't there is a winter celebration of some sort. Last night at 11:15pm the House of Representatives voted to pass the health insurance reform bill. This is a celebration day for many today. It still has to pass in the Senate. Here is a video message from the President if interested http://bit.ly/2hrR8a.

In America, we have Veteran's Day coming up in a few days on November 11th. Thank a vet in some way.

Of course, our fantastic Thanksgiving day is coming November, 26th. Begin planning where you are spending your day and who is bringing what.

Spice up your family's winter holiday coffee this season by adding this special blend to your coffeemaker. Grind white peppercorns, red peppercorns, cinnamon and clove and add to your own freshly ground coffee. Enjoy the spicy aromas that will fill your home, palate, and memories this season.

Be sure to do your Christmas gifts shopping early or you may be in the huge crowds of shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. This is notoriously the biggest shopping day of the Christmas season... perhaps the year.

Here is one xmas gift idea I like. The Omron body fat monitor analyzes your body fat and you can enter up to 9 personal profiles. Here is what it looks like:

WHAT IS A "REGULAR CUP OF COFFEE"?

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:57:00 +0000

If you go to New York and order a regular coffee, then you will get a cup of coffee with milk and sugar. That is the way that most people there drink it. If you order a regular coffee elsewhere in the U.S. then you will get a black cup of caffeinated coffee, and if you want room for cream then you have to request it.

A regular in the western states means a caffeinated cup of coffee. "Regular or decaf?" is what the waitress asks and in some places, "Leaded or unleaded?".

One theory is that people from the northeast/east states tend to favor coffee with cream and sugar more than the people from the northwest/west coast. Also, on the east coast if you ask for only sugar they will likely put in the sugar for you and it may be a lot more than you wanted. On the west coast it is typical to put the sugar in yourself.

In Canada, they like to order double-doubles for their coffee. A double-double consists of double cream and double sugar.

In Cottswold, England a regular cup of coffee is instant coffee, hot water, and milk.

In Turkey, a regular cup of coffee is turkish coffee. On a bus though it is Nescafe instant coffee inclusive with dried milk and sugar, then added hot water.

Espresso is the basis in coffee in really good cafes and restaurants. In those establishments, regulars mean non-espresso cups of coffee as you would have at home. It would mean using a french press or drip coffeemaker.

I own this Progressive Coffee and Tea Press, which is a long way of saying french press. I make coffee and tea in this press. I love it when I'm craving a really strong cup of coffee. If you do not want a strong cup, then you need to use less grounds then you may be use to using in a drip coffeemaker. The flavor is very full in a french press. It's great for steeping loose teas as well.

It's a nice affordable gift as well.

BUNN POD COFFEEMAKER MCP RATING

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:24:00 +0000

Pod Coffeemaker Rating

BUNN MCP My Cafe' Single Cup Coffeemaker
Commercial quality for home use.

Rated from Lowest 1 to 5 Highest Stars

Brewing Range 4 stars

First Cup Speed 3 stars

Repeat Speed 5 stars

Convenience 3 stars

Ease of Cleaning 5 stars

Temperature Consistency 4 stars

Size Consistency 2 stars

Noise Level 4 stars

Overall Rating 3.75 stars

This coffeemaker is easy to clean. You do have to check to be sure there is enough water in it to make your cup of coffee. It uses pods you can buy at your local grocery store. It tastes great and comes out nice and hot. You can fill a travel mug by using 2 pods, which is easy enough especially since the second cup comes out so much faster. This model did go through a temporary recall period, but now the glitches appear to be all worked out. This is a very popular and well liked single cup coffeemaker.

HEART HEALTHY JUICE / CHUBBY'S CRUISERS / STARBUCK'S INSTANT COFFEE TASTE TEST

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 05:26:00 +0000

Dear Veg Abby Healthy Heart Juice Recipe Tip of the Day:
New Juice Recipe:
1 Fuji Apple
1/4 Tuscany Melon
1 head of romaine lettuce
Drink up. Delicious.
Be Heart Healthy! Romaine is loaded with Vitamins K, A, C, and beta-carotene. It helps prevent the oxidation of cholesterol.

25th ABBOT KINNEY FESTIVAL
Chubbys Cruisers sells a variety of bikes and bike accessories. Some are really unique like this BURGER BELL that Greg was drawn to... hmmm... I wonder why? I noticed this booth had the biggest gel bottom cruiser seat for installation that I have ever seen and it was only $55. It was made for a big bottom and it looked comfy. I really don't think gel cruiser seats can ever be too big. This was the finest looking, comfiest feeling seat I've ever seen. All I can say is that it is about time someone made one and someone sold it! Finally a bike seat women can enjoy.

Chubby was in the booth, and she was promoting the bike baby seats that are newly arrived and for sale. She wanted to be sure the word got out on those babies... er, seats. The bike seat for babies to ride in with their mommies is in. Here is Chubby holding one.

Chubby does not look like she will be having any babies any time soon herself though. She isn't particularly chubby either, but she is a good sport to pose for this picture.

COFFEE CHAT
We went to the last day of the Los Angeles County Fair today. We stopped for coffee at McDonalds. They had a Bunn-o-matic coffeemaker with a TDO-N-4 Bunn-o-matic dispenser by the looks of it. The coffee was pretty satisfying and much better than the coffee that most restaurants seem to carry.

I didn't get out to try the new Starbuck's instant coffee taste test this weekend. My sister-in-law Sara did though. She says it tastes really good! She heard the instant coffee is approximately $2.99 for 3 cups, which is a real deal compared to what you pay for Starbuck's coffee in house. She said it tastes really similar to the brewed coffee at Starbucks! Her verdict on the taste test: She couldn't tell the difference herself! Let me know if you took it, and what your verdict was as well.

REFERENCE:
Nutritional Resource: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=61

Free Whole Foods Recycle Bags / Two Chicks Baby's Badass Burgers / Coffee Chat

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:08:00 +0000

Dear Veg Abby Healthy Tip of the Day: Ride your bike soon! The historical 25th annual Abbot Kinney Festival offered free safe valet bicycle parking to encourage the locals to ride their bikes. Whole Foods pitched in as well and sweetened the deal further. They offered to give the first 500 bike riders a free whole foods recycle bag at their booth if you present them with your bicycle valet parking ticket. Needless to say we got two shopping bags.

Unfortunately, the people taking the bikes at the valet weren't informed and didn't spread the news to those checking their bikes. Greg read it on the net or we never would have known. It was a really special treat to get just for riding your bike!

I got in line at the HOT pink van called Two Hot Chicks, "Baby's Badass Burgers". They twitter so you can find the mobile restaurant. Greg looked around, but came back to the line as I figured he would for his favorite food aka burger. He got two slider size burgers (they come in 2s) and sweet pie fries. He thought the food was pretty good. They were out of Veggy burgers, so I was out of luck. It was a long line but worth it. The sweet pie fries were yummy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COFFEE CHAT:
Intelligentsia cafe is located on Abbot Kinney. I highly recommend you go and order one cup of coffee then watch in wonder as the rare $10,000 Clover single cup coffeemaker brews up a perfectly balanced cup of coffee. Refreshing.

There are six variables to coffee making: choice of coffee bean, the texture of the coffee from the coffee grinder (built in), the amount of coffee used, the amount of water, the brewing time, and the brewing temperature. I really love the Breville Espresso Machines (silver coffeemakers) especially the Breville Cafe Roma for making coffee lattes.

VENICE BEACH ART / ESPRESSO COFFEE LATTE ART

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:04:00 +0000

DEAR VEG ABBY HEALTHY TIP OF THE DAY: Get creative. There are lots of types of creative expression. It could be drawing a picture, taking a photo, making a dessert or meal, dancing, writing... you get the idea. Expressing your creativity is freeing, feels good and is relaxing too.

The Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice was full of creativity. Even the Argonaut's cover was a great expression of the event. There was a booth full of art that was really eye catching at the festival. Loud colorful cartoonish people "Of Course She Said" art with words that affect. It is abrasive and in your face. It is startling and kinda funny at the same time. Check it out.

There was art in the booth and then there were the people walking around. Each person displaying their individual style. Even getting dressed can be a form of creative expression, and it certainly shows in Venice beach. The earrings, bracelets, necklaces, the wraps, the frocks, the bags in many styles and colors.

Making a latte can be very creative. I love this particular video. Breville Espresso Machine Latte Art

Abbot Kinney Festival: Farm Fresh To You / Maxwell's Coffee Review

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:51:00 +0000

Dear Veg Abby Healthy Recipe Tip of the Day: Organic foods taste great in recipes. See if your community offers an organic delivery of a box of farm fresh fruits and vegetables. I found this great place at the 25th Abbot Kinney Festival and signed up for their delivery service.

They offer a wide range of packages from small, medium, and large with a choice of fruits and/or veggies/greens/etcetera. They were giving a discount for the first order at the festival to encourage participation. You can sign up for weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. I thought it was a great idea, so I signed up to give it a try. You can cancel at any time even after one delivery.

Maxwell's Cafe is a great place for breakfast. Danny above stays on top of the coffeemaker pours and your orders. The Chili Killa's are my favorite. Chili Killa's are nacho chips, eggs, cheese and chilis and they are unique and delicious. They are vegetarian as well. They also serve the standard eggs, sausage, strawberry pancakes, veggy sausage patties, carne asada steak and eggs, spinach nest eggs with hollandaise sauce. Every time we go to Maxwell's there is always a crowd. The atmosphere is very woodsy. The walls are wood paneled and there is an old cupboard behind the counter and old black and white photos. You immediately feel transported to a woodsy mountain cafe is how it feels even though you are still in L.A. Your pacing needs to slow down too because this place is busy so you are waiting for your seat sometimes for a short while and you may be waiting for your order to be taken, but somehow in this calm place you don't mind.

The coffee refills are frequent though I find Farmer's brand coffee to taste like a working man's cup of joe. It tastes fresh at first, then strong like burned flavors, then afterwards it leaves a taste on your tongue all day like a cigarette might. It's all they have so come for the food. It's delicious. Thumbs up from all three eaters in my party.

Street parking is all around the block, but you have to look for it and walk a short bit.

LOCATION:

Maxwell's Cafe

310-306-7829

13329 Washington Blvd,

Venice, CA 90066

25TH ANNUAL ABBOT KINNEY FESTIVAL: SURFRIDER FOUNDATION

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Today I went to the fanta-bulous Venice festival and will be sharing about it all week! My friend Renee the volunteer extraordinaire was there at the Surfrider Foundation booth this morning. I missed her, but I got a picture of the booth with the latest volunteers. Notice the phone number on the sign if you wish to volunteer.

Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit organization with over 90 chapters worldwide. The mission is simple: protect the world's oceans, waves, and beaches for people's access and pleasure through research, education, conservation and activism.

Heal The Bay is another non-profit organization. What distinguishes Heal The Bay from the Surfrider Foundation is that its main focus is on Southern California. The current goals for 2010 are environmental education in all California schools, safe swimming beaches in every Santa Monica Bay, create Santa Monica Bay marine protected areas, include filter systems on 50,000 storm drain catch basins, and environmentally restore the Malibu Lagoon. Those are some hefty worthy goals all locals should support. These gentlemen were volunteering to "man the booth" and politely posed for the blog. Way to go dudes! Surfs Up.

ROOTS AND SHOOTS PEACE DAY: OCEAN HAPPINESS

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:49:00 +0000

I wanted to get this out early to let you know TODAY is the 25th Annual Abbot Kinney Street Fair Festival in Venice 10am - 6pm showcasing over 100 eclectic businesses on Abbot Kinney! It is loads of fun. I hope you make it there. I am going.

Dear Veg Abby Healthy Tip of the Day:
You know you should go the gym, but you probably won't. Take a walk today or do something fun like the Abbot Kinney Street Festival where you will do quite a bit of walking and see lots of interesting things.

MORE ON PEACE DAY:
I packed up a thermos of delicious organic Venice blend coffee, reflective of the variety of culture in the Venice beach area, that I got from the local Groundwork Coffee Company. Fantastic place to get fresh, great coffee beans.

I ride my bike to the Santa Monica beach, and what should I see above? octopus, fish, jellyfish, rainbow fish, and more over head. Massive sea creature kites spotted just off the pier supporting the International Roots and Shoots Peace Day event in reference to the peace the ocean much needs as well.

Scientists cannot agree on whether or not global warming is real, but they can all agree our oceans are in danger as islands of polluted plastic trash colonize together over an expanse of miles in the ocean.

Scientists also agree the acidity level of the ocean is rising and will continue to rise. The acidity level rising denigrates coral reefs and creatures with hard shells like crabs, lobsters, clams, sea anemones, shrimp, plankton and more. The danger to the coral and creatures is that the acid eats away at their outer shells eroding away their protection, and their existence eventually becoming extinct. When those sea animals are lost then the rippling effects go out to the other creatures that count on those creatures for food in the food chain. Use your imagination. This is a devastating problem that is not receiving enough media attention. Spread the word. Roots and Shoots would like you to build a giant peace dove if you like.

PEACE DAY ON SANTA MONICA PIER

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:18:00 +0000

I attended International support of Roots and Shoots Peace Day in Santa Monica on the pier on September 20th. Greg and Renee volunteered themselves all day doing sign ups at booths and handing out free food to the public. Those goody two shoes... gotta love 'em. There was activities, face painting, games, and more. There were many booths manned with volunteers standing for Peace.

Greg spotted 007 Pearce Brosnan at the event. He is apparently a big supporter each year helping with backstage stuff like getting bands and of course generously appearing on stage with mic to say a few words in support as well. What a humanitarian. Apparently, he has helped for many years now. Marilou Henner from "Taxi" the television series was also in attendance and lending her support.

Mayor Villaraigosa was also in attendance and giving a shout out to support peace. Inspired by the Peace Day perhaps two days later he announced a crackdown on one of the most notoriously violent street gangs known as the "Avenues" in conjunction with federal authorities. 45 gang members were arrested already. He must have needed a big cup of coffee that Monday morning! This is news!

More on the Peace Day tomorrow!

Dear Veg Abby Juice Recipe / Mar Vista Green Fall Festival October 3, 2009

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Dear Veg Abby Tip of the Day:

Take a page out of Dear Veg Abby Healthy Juice Recipe book literally! Beta-carotene in carrots converts to vitamin A and is an anti-oxidant. A diet high in beta-carotene is shown to reduce cardiovascular disease, some cancers like lung cancer, improves skin texture and appearance, and everyone knows it is good for eyesight. Lycopene in tomatoes is found to help prevent prostate cancer in men.

____________________________________________________________

Instead of reading about things I've done I thought you might like to know about an upcoming event beforehand so you have a chance to go yourself! The Mar Vista GREEN Fall Festival is coming Saturday, October 3rd, 10am-4pm at the Mar Vista Recreational Center! Learn about composting, mulching, drought surviving plants, and conservation. Watch a puppet show. Have your face painted. Jumpers and games for kids too. I'm sure my friend Renee will be there volunteering since she sent me the flyer.

______________________________________________________________

References: Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter

Where Are The Micro-Brews in Mammoth?

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:03:00 +0000

http://bestcoffeemakers.com

Whiskey Creek Bistro:

Enjoy your dinner and micro-brew with a window seat overlooking the gorgeous

Mammoth mountain views.

I'm not talking micro-brewed coffee. I'm talking micro-brewed beers. Whiskey Creek Restaurant has the Mammoth Brewing company upstairs. This is THE PLACE to get inebriated on the fumes of these delicious local brews. Pale Ales, Amber, IPA, Hefewiezen, Stout, Brown nectars are all at your disposal in the handy taster they offer without breaking the bank at around $6. Each beer will delight you. Your palate will be savoring the brews with fine food choices as well. The appetizers range from $6-$12 and the main meals range from $10-$20s. They offer artichoke dip, sweet potato fries, fries, onion rings, crabcakes, salads, burgers, steaks, pasta and more. There are plenty of vegetarian/vegan options as well. I love their portabello and veggy burger, pasta, sweet potato fries, artichoke dip, and salads. My husband loves their burgers, fish tacos, and steaks. The atmosphere is casual elegance. You will see the typical local garb of t-shirts, jeans and shorts, so don't worry about a strict dress code.

Whiskey Creek Bistro is a two story center of socializing. Head up the stairs to the bar when you enter first thing. The people that work there are friendly and informative as well on the local culture of mountain biking, mountain climbing, kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, and any other outdoor sport you can think of. This is the place for dancing in the evening as well. If you need a cup of coffee or a hot toddy or Irish Coffee they will be happy to accommodate you.

Whiskey Creek Bistro is a must on your Mammoth to do list.

Free WI-FI internet access.

Location: Whiskey Creek Bistro, 24 Lake Mary Road
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
760-934-3948

Breakfast at Stellar Brew & Deli in Mammoth, California

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Location:

Stellar Brew & Deli

(760) 924-3559

Mammoth Lakes
3280B Main St

Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
Phone (760) 924-3559

The former "Looney Bean" has new owners and a new name of "Stellar Brew Cafe & Deli". The other day we ate breakfast there in Mammoth. They have lovely cozy bohemian style seating inside or out. They offer organic foods with many tasty vegetarian/vegan options and many coffee selections. We tried the Mocha Vanille latte $3.30 and found it sweet and tasty. We had the omnivore and herbivores sandwich on Foccacia bread since the bagels were almost out. They had hummus, tomato, sprouts, carrot shreds (herb) and provolone cheese (omni). They were both delicious and around $6.

For dessert we had the cinnamon scone pastry with a medium roasted Ethiopian coffee. Yum is the verdict. Emma behind the counter was a great ambassador of friendly service as well. They do offer eggs, bacon and ham in some breakfast choices for meat lovers.

Bring your computer for FREE WI-FI!

If you mention Angel's Restaurant Discount, then they will take $1 off your order.

They offer a variety of coffees in a row of levered coffee dispensers or airpots for the customer's self-service. Some are organic and some are not. They are all fresh and delicious.

Whoa Nellie Deli near Mono Lake in Lee Vining, California

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Beautiful Mono Lake view

Today we were headed from Mammoth to Yosemite for sight seeing. We went to Camp Curry and some other places but I will tell you about that another day. Along the way we gassed up and we ate breakfast at the Whoa Nellie Deli Tioga Gas Mart & Restaurant.

Location: Tioga Gas Mart / Whoa Nellie Deli
info@whoanelliedeli.com or 760-647-1088
P.O. Box 253 or 22 Vista Point Road
Lee Vining, CA. 93541

We heard they had gourmet style foods in a deli gas mart atmosphere. Yes, it was a unique experience. They do have comfortable booths for indoor and outdoor seating tucked away on the right.

Greg had a smoked trout bagel with cream cheese, capers and red onion. He found it very tasty. I had over easy eggs, home potatoes & sourdough toast. It was good too. The meals were around $9. each. Chef Matt "Tioga Toomey" shown in the baseball cap below is the culinary delight creator behind the grill. The crew are all very friendly and banter with customers as they grill.

The coffee was less than stellar... probably sitting out too long, but people clearly go here for the gourmet food in an area with little else other than nature. The coffee was Farmers brand and the coffee machines were Brewmaster M-90. The coffee grinder was a Curtis. They offered a variety of herbal tea bag choices as well. I wish I had gotten a tea instead.

Thai'd Up in Mammoth Lakes?

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Location: Thai'd Up 587 Old Mammoth Road Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
(760) 934-7355

I LOVE the food here. The only bad part is waiting to get a seat because it is so popular! I had a fantastic curry dish, coconut soup and my husband loved his pad thai dish. We had to wait about 10 minutes to get a table but that wasn't their fault. We enjoyed a couple beers in the waiting chairs and another couple showed up and had to stand nearby until our seats became free for them. Just before we were seated another couple showed up and it was a squeeze then.

Thai'd Up has Thai trained chefs and fly the chefs to Thailand yearly for cooking classes and to expand and sharpen their repertoire. There are framed news stories and chef certifications in Thai cuisine proudly displayed. I only noticed because I had to kill time waiting for a table.

The atmosphere was one of crowded enjoyment. The people working the host/hostess area are friendly young people in t-shirts, which unfortunately does not add to the Thai feel but is an expression of local Mammoth culture in a Thai restaurant. They were friendly and felt for our plight of having to wait for a table. What more can you ask for than that? I was just happy to have a chair when all is said and done.

I was impressed with their dedication to the authenticity of the Thai food culture. The prices are reasonable $10-$20 range. I really love Thai food, Thai people and Thailand... and wish Thai'd Up much success. Though clearly they don't need my wishes as the waiting line showed.

Sometimes coupons are listed on Thai'd Ups website. The present offer is:

	Print & present this coupon prior to ordering
	Buy an entree and a beverage = Get 1 spring roll free

	Coupon is good for 3 days from Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:09:47 GMT. We sincerely appreciate your patronage and word of mouth referrals! “Feed the people!”

Mammoth Mountain Coffee - Old NY Deli & Bagel Shop

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:12:00 +0000

We arrived in Mammoth to do mountain biking and stayed at Davison Hostel. It was around $53 for two people and there were three beds in the room! The atmosphere was woodsy and relaxed. There is a kitchen for cooking though we didn't use it. Upstairs is the kitchen and the living room with a TV and a gorgeous mountain view. The upper floor has a triangle shaped ceiling, which is really charming. The next morning we headed over at 9am to the Pita Pit in the Village center for breakfast. The door was open, but no one was inside. We looked around and a guy came out from the back and told us they were closed. We thought that was odd. He said they would not be open till 11am. He recommended the deli down the street.

The Old New York Deli & Bagel shop a few stores over on Minaret Road in Mammoth Village turned out to be fantastic. We loved it!

Location:
Old New York Deli & Bagel Company, 6201 Minaret Rd., in The Village at Mammoth, California, USA - Phone760-934-3354

I had the hummus, cucumber, tomato, and sprouts with one added egg added on a toasted onion bagel. It was delicious and included a cup of Peets brand coffee. The coffee was made using a dual reservoir Bunn commercial coffee machine.

It was fresh and delicious! Greg had the corned beef hash on a garlic bagel. He spilled his coffee and they graciously cleaned up and gave him a new cup of Joe. I highly recommend this place. My bagel breakfast was $4.99 including coffee and Greg's was $5.99 including the coffee as well. A great deal for the Village. They offer a traditional breakfast of two eggs, one side such as home fries and toast for $3.99! There are more choices then I could list, but those are the ones that stood out for me.

They have free wi-fi for computer use! Click here for coupons for the Old New York Deli.

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE & DELIGHT IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY!

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:04:00 +0000

I took a trip to Turkey this summer. It was fantastic! I highly recommend a trip to Turkey. Istanbul was gorgeous with views of the blue sparkling Bospherous Sea. The people are very westernized and many speak English very well. They have a very good bus and rail and ferry system for getting around. The people are warm, friendly, and helpful. The only tip regarding attire for women would be to leave the string top shirts and mini-skirts and short shorts at home. To fit in culturally it is wise to keep your shoulders covered. A simple t-shirt with short sleeves will do the trick. I would recommend wearing pants, capri pants or shorts or skirts that go to the mid-thigh or longer. Istanbul must sees are the Dolma Bocci Palace, Top Kapi Palace,

Haggia Sophia Christian Mosque Church

and the neighboring Basilica Cistern with Medusa heads in the base of two columns.

The people of turkey enjoy turkish tea in lovely curved shaped glasses and small shots of turkish coffee. For breakfast common items are various cheeses, olives, homemade bread, nutella, and fresh fruit. Turkish coffee is yummy. Here is how you can make your own cup.

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE:

Turkish coffee is 1 tspn of finely ground coffee (powder sugar texture), 1 tspn of sugar, & 1 shot glass size of water dumped into a little copper pot. Stir on High heat, 3 minutes till it begins to boil and rise up and almost over the edge.

Enjoy. Look for a future post on how to READ YOUR TURKISH COFFEE FORTUNE!

Starbucks Barista & Seattle's Best Coffee Blade Grinders Recall

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:18:00 +0000

A recall has been issued on the blade grinders from

Starbucks Barista and Seattle's Best Coffee. The blade

can unpredictably turn on. Perhaps ghosts

from the China manufacturer have come to America

to haunt the grinder blades? Perhaps not. The

grinder will sometimes fail to turn on when switched on

as well. It looks like the on/off switch is faulty either way.

Over half a million grinders are being recalled. Tsann

Kuen Enterprise Company Limited is the manufacturer,

who must be crying in Zhangzhou, China, though not reportedly.

There have been 176 complaints to the U.S. Consumer

Protection and Safety Commission. THREE people reported

they were cleaning the machine when it turned on and CUT

them. Very gangsta' this grinder. Spooky. It was recalled due

to the high risk for laceration.

To report an injury or incident call CPSC at:
(800) 638-2772.

To get a replacement grinder call Starbucks toll free at:
(866) 276-2950

If you are looking for a grinder. I recommend this Breville Grinder

made for home use.

BUNN SINGLE POD BREWERS RECALLED

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 01:50:00 +0000

RECALLED MAY 21, 2009

BUNN My Cafe Pourover Pod (MCP) and Bunn My Cafe Automatic (MCA) were recalled due to a possible burn hazard.

Over 35,500 units have been voluntarily recalled by Bunn-o-matic Corporation. The pod drawer in some models opens unexpectedly. Imagine your surprise? During the brew cycle the drawer opening could splash some hot water and pose a potential burn threat to those nearby. Not fun.

Some people did call Bunn-o-matic Corporation to complain and of course Consumer Protection Services. Reportedly 10 people filed complaints. There was 1 person who reported minor burns as well. Bunn immediately took action to remedy the situation by sending out the drawer recall and sending TWO replacements out. Why two? I guess they don't want to waste consumer time in case one of the drawers doesn't work properly.

Bunn-o-matic will send replacement drawers out to those with the machine simply call them to request the drawers at 800-741-3405.

Have you been injured? Report here.

Interested in buying your own Bunn Single Pod Brewer?

It would be with the NEW properly working drawer of course!

MOCHA DUNK MUG UK GIFT IDEA

DearBestCoffeeMakers@gmail.com (Living Inspiration) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:34:00 +0000

Mocha Dunk Mug is the coolest gift idea... and practical too! A hot drink with a cookie shelf appears to be a dream come true but, unfortunately, I cannot find where you can buy it in the USA. Next trip to the UK is only way to get it I suppose unless they ship to the US. It sure is pricey though. The UK designer is Dominic Skinner. It is partly manufactured and partly handmade.