My new favorite blog

Direct from a recent blogger of note designation...she's in S.F., brilliant, funny, lots of interesting links...



Tango Baby!

If You're in Napa, a good place to eat

http://winecountry.citysearch.com/profile/46316180/napa_ca/pica_pica_maize_kitchen.html

10 First St Ste 5
Napa, CA 94559
Phone: (707) 251-3757


Pica Pica Maize Kitchen
610 First St. #5 (Oxbow Public Market)
Napa, CA 94559
707 251-3757

1. Pick Your Main
Arepas
Grilled Corn Flour Flatbread (Wheat & Gluten Free)

Pepeada chicken salad with "guasacaca" (creamy avocado) 6.25
Pelu’a shredded skirt steak with cheddar cheese 7.25
Domino black beans with shredded white monterrey cheese 5.75
Pabellón shredded skirt steak, fried plantains & black bean paste 7.75
Pabellón vegetariano tofu with cilantro adobo, fried plantains, black bean paste & sliced avocado 5.50
Llanera sautéed sirloin strips with cilantro adobo, green peppers & onions. "guasacaca" served on the side 8.95
Benedictine poached egg, smoked ham, avocado & spiced sour cream 6.75
Perico scrambled eggs seasoned with pica pica sofrito. choice of bacon bits, chorizo or cheese 5.50
Cachapas
100% Sweet Corn Pancake (Wheat & Gluten Free)

Cheese choice of cheese 7.00
Cheese & Ham choice of cheese & smoked ham 8.00
Meat chicken salad, shredded skirt beef or sautéed sirloin strips 8.95
Maize´wich
Grilled Cheese On Sweet Cornbread

Cheese choice of cheese 5.00
Cheese & Ham choice of cheese & smoked ham 6.00
Add To Main A Small Salad Or Cup Of Soup $2.99

2. Add
Salads
Fresh

Bululu corn, red bell pepper, jicama & pineapple
Salad Of The Day served on mixed greens with choice of vinaigrette 3.75
Soups
Homemade

Chupe chicken, corn, potatoes & cheese in a cream based broth
Soup Of The Day cup 3.75 large 5.75

3. Plus A Side
Pasapalos $3.25
Choice of Venezuelan sides served with one dipping salsa (wheat & gluten free)

Yucca Fries
Tostones
Sweet Plantains
Salsas $0.50
Mmmm!!!

Morena black bean mayonnaise
Mela’o de papelón & tamarindo
Pica’chup our own spiced ketchup
Pica’pun our signature hot sauce

Drinks
Aahh!!!

Frozen Tropical Juice 3.50
Beer 3.50
Frozen Sangria 5.95
Cans 1.75
Bottles 3.00
Water 1.75
Glossary
Arepas - Ah - Ray - Paz grilled corn flour flatbread, crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside
Bululu a noisy gathering
Cachapas - Ka - Chóp - Az 100% sweet corn pancake, wheat and gluten free
Chupe - Chew - Pa andean hearty chicken, corn and vegetable soup
Domino a tribute to the game of dominoes. the combination of black beans and white cheese alludes to the colors of the domino pieces
Guasacaca - Wá - Sa - Ka - Ká creamy avocado sauce with peppers and onions. mildly spicy
Llanera - Gia - Néra venezuelan cowboys, living in the llanos (vast plains east of the andes), are called llaneros
Pabellón - Paa - Be - Jóhn a traditional venezuelan platter: carne mechada (shredded skirt steak), fried plantain, black beans and white rice
Pelu’a - Pe - Luu - Aa means shaggy
Pepeada named after susana dujim, miss world, 1955. some say the name is derived from the definition of pepeada (beautiful and voluptuous)
Perico signature venezuelan scrambled eggs. the colors are reminiscent of the feathers of a parrot
Pica Pica - Peeka - Peeka picar’ means to eat different small things
Sofrito - So - Free - Tó seasoning base in latin american cuisine made out of tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs
Tostones - Tos - Tó - Ness crispy fried green plantain
Yucca part of the agave family, it is a root that is widely eaten in the amazon by indigenous peoples. wheat and gluten free

Also in the Oxbow Market is a great spice booth.

Comment your gender indicating parts off

One of my regular reads is proposing that everyone, yes, both of you, comment on as many blogs as possible in some sort of commenting orgy. Hey, he turned his blogging into a book deal, so who am I to comment, I mean say whether he's nuts. (And there is some evidence to suggest he may be)

Lenora & Lily, sitting in a tree...

They're not K I S S I N G, but they do sniff a lot and occasionally play.



Meanwhile Michaela seems to have an upset tummy again, and her hindquarters seem worse. Maybe the cold weather?

Observation

Learning curve leads to brain burn

What's new

We are rejoining the Mac crowd, having purchased a new imac just before T'day. We went to a PC many years ago, but we're just TIRED of all the virus', updates, blah blah blah...

RIP Charlie the Seagull? We spent a week out at the coast, on our first day, I found a seagull carcass in the backyard. As funny as it sounds, it looked better than Charlie. I believe I would recognize his beak/face, and it definitely did NOT look like Charlie, however Charlie was a no show for the week...

I am spending time transferring files between computers, setting up internet access, printers etc. This morning I tried to set up the imac to work with our old printer, and it's not going so well...

Hope to get back to more regular posting in the near future.

My Neighbor the Artist, pt VII

Bush as Cartman (From South Park)

Pet Peace Progress

Upon hearing, only recently, the results of the presidential election, a peace treaty has been "signed" between Lily and Lenora. It stipulates at least 30 minutes of play together a day. (The treaty refers to "Hunting technique familiarization")
The negotiations were aided by liberal doses of catnip on the remaining cat tree. (The other was returned to the coast), and restrictions on access to Lenora's base of operations (our bed). This has the added benefit of increased sleeping time for the non feline members of the household.
Oh, and the cats have been trapped in the house for long periods because the house is being painted.

Here's what we did last night.

This was the first song of the night. I'm enjoying the music as much today, I seem to have several of the tunes running thru my head all day.

Special thanks to Bill & Kathy who invited us and paid our way. Good Time!

New feline fotos

Lenora seems to be shy. She was initially very attached to us and would jump into our laps at every opportunity. Now she's a bit more aloof. She's claimed most of the house, in particular our bed where she spends most of her time. It seems like there are few if any chances for "cute" shots. She chases Lily off if they interact at all.

Dis udda cat has made me a basket case I tells ya!

My Neighbor the Artist, pt VI

Here are the rear view mirrors he made for the car which are only put on for special occasions due to fear of theft.

Here they are in approximate position they would be on the car

Another neighbor, another artist of a different kind

He writes and sings music for young kids.

Here is James K at the Saturday Farmers Market just down the street where they had craft booths and entertainment for kids revolving around Halloween

Here's his website.

Introducing LENORA!

Stats: 9lbs 1 oz, throws right, bats left.

Meet Charlie's apprentice

Introducing... Studley Segal

He isn't taking food from the hand yet, but he shows up regularly, often after Charlie, and goes to the birdbath expecting food. Who is training whom?

Something There Is That Likes a Wall (Us)

Before

After

A Wednesday on the water

"A three hour tour", well, 2.5 actually. Bought tickets at a fundraiser. Original plan was to sail over to the channel and let the 5+ knot ebb tide carry us out the gate and sail back in on the evening westerlies. But there seemed to be more interest in seeing the results of last weeks fires on Angel island, so that's what we did.
This "boat" is owned by a non profit educational group. Thus we were likely to learn something. It is actually a "Schooner". What makes it a schooner? I'm glad you asked because I haven't quite forgotten yet. A schooner has multiple masts (2 in this case) and the larger (or equal) mast is to the rear, but in front of the helm. If they were reversed it would be a Ketch. If the larger mast were BEHIND the helm it would be a Yawl. (which I thought was just a boat from the south)

Somebody had too much money.

A Wednesday in Wine Country

A lot of people seem to not have gotten the memo about the economy crashing. That, or it's a case of eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.

First stop was Copia, who decided THIS was the day they would start being open only on the weekends. (No open, no free advertising guys!)

Second stop was Trefethen winery. Copious amounts sipped and purchased.

Should have eaten first, but oh well. Lunch was here.

Olive oil is also important. The presentation is somewhat less ostentatious.
Napa Olive Oil Co

Winery art.

Bridge Update

They can't get it (the bridge) up for about 10 weeks. They are replacing the hinge pin, bearings, and right now are sandblasting it. It will be repainted in the original black.

When we first moved here, elderly couples lived in the small "house" and operated the bridge as needed. Now you have to call and make an appt to have the bridge raised.

As a bonus pic, these are on the top of the railing posts in our new Theatah (We are required to pronounce it that way) District. Some people say one theatah does not a district make, but after being without ANY movie house for a number of years, we'll go along.

Otter Update + Professional Otter wrangling!

Memo for Gov Palin

My Neighbor, the Artist, part V

Still needs a real latch.

Finally a picture

We've all seen comments by a particular person throughout the internet. I assume that most of you, like me, have wondered what this "person" looked like.

I give you...

ANON A. MOOSE

Strange invaders who Otter know better

Our town was invaded late Thurs. by strange men who docked their odd craft while calling out "Beeeds for yor weeemun!!"

For more info go here or

Here

They were intercepted coming upstream by a group of 4th and 5th graders on a nautical field trip to learn about the history and ecology of our "River" (Declared a river by act of congress, geologists say its a tidal slough) courtesy of the local Sea Scouts, The Bay Institute and STRAW





And since we're on a nautical theme, here's an update on the "rescued" river otters . BTW, they ARE RIVER Otters not Tidal Slough otters.

Do I look like I just fell off a hybrid turnip truck?

So, I just went over 30,000 miles last week, and the tires were showing quite a bit of wear. And just before the service appt, the tire warning light went on. I checked the pressures, added a couple pounds in front and the light remained on.

Service guy says you need new tires (duh). The wear was on the outsides of all 4 tires, and evenly worn down, not wavy. I read it as either low pressure wear or cornering too fast. (MOI?)

So I wanted to do some tire shopping. Toyota said about $525 with alignment. I asked what was the mileage rating for their tires. The service guy would not give me a mileage rating! He said it should be the same as what I had gotten (30K?) or better since they improve the tires all the time. Also they were "specially rated" for the Prius since it is SO much heavier than most cars due to the battery. Well I know tires have weight ratings. What they sell is nothing special.

Costco quoted $504 out the door for 80,000 mile Michelin's (no alignment, but I don't think it needs it)

My problem now is that I don't trust ANYTHING the Toyota dealer is going to say to me in the future, 'cause they obviously think I'm a bigger idiot than I actually am.

Lovett was great, but here's what's on tap for tonight!

A little eye candy for some.

Here's what we're doing tonite!

I can haz Liel Luvit!

The only bummer is, he's not bringing the horn section, DAMN!

All good things come to an end when they dryrot

Mission: paint the porch

Challenge: fix the dryrot

Now we just need to paint the REST of the house.

So while it's TRUE that I have been sitting on my tokus since my last post, I was at least doing something while in that position.