This spring I will attempt to grow nasturtiums (again).  Nasturtium is native to the South American Andes from Bolivia to Columbia. Some consider them to be herbs as the leaves and blooms are edible. The leaves have a crisp peppery taste that ’s great as salad greens.

I especially love the cheerful crinkly flowers of orange, red and yellow. And the leaves remind me of small lily pads. Photo from Hume Seeds.

They are suppose to be some of the easiest flowers to grow. Yet when I attempted to grow them last spring, I didn’t have much luck at all.

This is all that grew in 4 weeks (photo from last spring). When I decided to transplant it, the whole thing just died a few days later.

I must not have seen this helpful tip from the seed packet:  “Does not transplant well.”  This year, I will be sure to plant them in a large pot or just straight into the ground.

A few more tips:

* Garden nasturtium enjoy sandy soils.

* Too much water and fertilizer could result in more leaves then blooms.

* It also enjoys full sun or light shade and prefers some shade in the summer sun.

* Nasturtium are somewhat drought tolerant but enjoy regular watering.

Read the rest of this entry »

I finally got to see “Ponyo” last weekend.  The animated film is both written and directed by Miyazaki.

Ready for an adventure?  Check out Ponyo!  Image source.

As with many of Miyazaki’s film, the children are brave and the environment needs to be protected.  In this case it is our ocean.  This is a good reminder for us to think about our planet more.  These days, we hear about how much the ocean is contaminated with mercury and garbage.  There is even an island of garbage floating right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called “The Garbage Patch“. It’s unbelievable.

As for the story line, I felt it’s aimed more towards younger fans. A bit like “The Little Mermaid”.  But Ponyo is entertaining and brings you to a time of youthful innocence and adventure.

Ponyo is a fish with a human head who wants to become even more human.  A young boy named Sosuke came across Ponyo when she was injured and swept to the coast.  Soon enough, Ponyo turns into a human child.  After a storm, the place is flooded and the adventure begins.  The children then set out to rescue Sosuke’s mom after the flood.  They come across kind local towns people.  They face their fears and overcome danger.

As with many other animated films by Studio Ghibli, the animation is great.  The feelings and expression are portrayed very well by all the characters.  Especially the expressive little Ponyo and the adventurous and clever Sosuke.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just sharing some more blooms from spring.  This is the California lilac I mentioned earlier.  It’s a big bush that’s almost as tall as the Japanese maple.

California lilac is a very fragrant flowering shrub that is also an evergreen and drought tolerant. The plant selection keeps the landscaping here very simple and neat.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last weekend I had a special request to make Honeysuckle Himalayan soap. It’s really become one of my favorite soap too. I always feel more energized after showering with it.

The request was made using the hot process (HP) method. The advantages of HP over cold process (CP) is that it can be used within a few days. And it also makes for a harder bar too.

I have a small Crock Pot that can make only 1 batch at a time. I tried to make a larger batch once and it over flowed and had to deal with raw soap - not fun.

Notice the top portion doesn’t look too pretty. Kind of lumpy. But it’s still the same good soap!

This 1st batch went well but just doesn’t look too pretty. Although it is still very nice soap. Batch #2 started to crumble near the edges while I was cutting it. It looks to me like the soap cooled too fast. The middle part is nice and creamy, but the edges just not too pretty.

HP soaping has it’s challenges and is difficult to put into the mold, as it’s very hard and starts to harden up fast. I think the best mold for HP is a cylinder mold like an old Pringles can. I made Eucalyptus Mint using HP method and it turned out really nice.

Read the rest of this entry »

When I found out that potatoes are loaded with pesticides, I have resorted to eating only organic potatoes now.  Because potatoes are root vegetables, they soak in more chemicals then other produce. Over 40 toxic pesticides are used on potatoes and most of these pesticides are linked to chronic side effects such as cancer, disruption in endocrine and reproductive system.

Conventional potatoes aren’t too expensive and available everywhere. But finding organic potatoes at a bargain price isn’t too easy.  So when I saw these organic potatoes at Raley’s (Nob Hill) for only $3.50 per bag, it was a bargain.  I usually get my organic potatoes and yams from Trader Joe’s at $4 or more per bag.

The best thing of all is that these potatoes taste so much better then Trader Joe’s variety.  The bag stated “russet potatoes”, but it was much smaller and the skin was lighter too.  Almost reminded me of those Yukon Gold potatoes. The skin was also very thin and not that bad to eat either.

These potatoes are almost sweet and has just the right texture. I usually steam my potatoes to make salad.  Tuna, chicken or beans is a good addition to potato salad.  I also like to add them to Thai curry, bean soups, or baked with Italian herbs. Or just steam and eat with Dijon mustard. It’s a much healthier snack then potato chips!

Read the rest of this entry »

Back in 2008, I voted for Prop 1A in California’s ballot. It was for building a high speed rail in California.  The proposition would authorizing $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for building a high speed rail project. 

The years went by and I have not heard anything more of it.  But now it was recently reported that California will receive $2.25 billion in federal economic stimulus funds to develop a high-speed rail line.

The high speed train will run from Anaheim to San Francisco. The projected cost is about $42 billion and trains would be traveling with speeds up to 450 miles in no more than 2 hours, 40 minutes. Other extensions to San Diego and Sacramento are planned.

This is what the train will look like.  I wish the color combination was different.  Maybe silver and white.  Photo from Wired magazine.

There will also be 13 other rail corridors planned which includes a Midwest line from Chicago to St. Louis. And also one in Florida running from Tampa to Orlando. What I want is a rail train that runs from Miami to Washington, D.C. I think high speed rail would be great for commuters and other travelers too.

I can imagine this would make traveling much easier for many people. Especially for the tourist who want to visit California. Imagine visiting the beaches of San Diego in the morning and then crossing the Golden Gate by evening. The only thing I have to get used to is not being able to see the beautiful scenery California has to offer. From the valley and farmlands to the coastal view.  And at this fast speed, it’ll would seem like life is just passing by in an instant.

Read the rest of this entry »

I saw this documentary “Food, Inc” a while back and couldn’t really get it out of my mind. Directed by Robert Kenner and narrated by Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser.

When we walk in our supermarket aisle, we rarely think about where and how the food got here.  But his film will make you think twice. Beware, there are scenes with factory farm cows that is very disturbing.  But it does make you not want to eat another hamburger again.

This film explores the corporate side of farming in the U.S.  They mention Monsanto and their need to genetically modify seeds (soybean and more).

Monsanto have now increased their seed prices and many farmers are not happy. Now the Obama administration is looking into it. the New York Times reported recently, “The Justice Department began an antitrust investigation of the seed industry last year, with an apparent focus on Monsanto, which controls much of the market for the expensive bioengineered traits that make crops resistant to insect pests and herbicides.”

Monsanto isn’t just doing this in the U.S. but abroad too. They even want small farmers in South America and Mexico to use and rely on their seeds. And the villagers can’t win this battle, as the corn become cross pollinated and eventually end up as part of Monsanto’s GMO plant.

A great idea is to plant heirloom variety seeds saved by gardeners. My mom usually gets her seeds from other gardening friends. Especially seeds for eggplants and hot chili pepper. Seeds of Change is another great place to get organic non-GMO seeds.

Read the rest of this entry »

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I didn’t wear much green, except for my fabric floral headband that had some green (maybe turquoise) in it. So no pitching me here.

One of my favorite childhood memories was spent looking for four-leaf clovers on sunny afternoons with friends. And I usually ended up finding the most. It was probably because others gave up after a while, so the patches of clover was all for me. Sometimes I would even find 5 leaf clovers too.

These were the same type of clovers I remember as a child. Double the four leaf clover is double the luck!  Photo from

So what do the leaves symbolize?

Each leaf is for FAITH, HOPE, LOVE and LUCK!

And if you find a 5 leaf clover, the superstition is extra good luck and attracting money.

I really never gave too much thought to the symbolism of the four leaf clover. Besides childhood fun and also seeing who would be the first to find the good luck clover. And being a kid, having good luck meant finding a quarter on the side walk. Which then meant buying and sharing 10 cent boxes of candies.

But at this age, I don’t think I’ll have much patience for finding any 4 leaf clover. It’s probably because I would be more interested in pulling weeds instead.

Here is more info on the story behind the 4 leaf clover:

“In Irish tradition the Shamrock or 3-leaf Clover represents the Holy Trinity: one leaf for the Father, one for the Son and one for the Holy Spirit. When a Shamrock is found with the fourth leaf, it represents God’s Grace.

History of the four leaf clover:

Read the rest of this entry »

Signs of spring are popping up around the neighborhood. Northern California had the nicest weather recently, especially after many days of rain.

Pretty and colorful red tulip and some daffodils. I wish they were in pastel colors, as they always remind me of Easter eggs.

One of the neighbor’s apple tree, we suspect it’s crab apple blossoms.

Read the rest of this entry »

Just a few days of sunshine and we’re already eating popsicles out here in California.  But these are not ordinary fruit bars, they are made from superfruits such as acai, blueberry and pomegranate.

Dreyer’s new fruit bars are made with real fruit and are a great source of antioxidants which helps fight free radicals.  Superfruits have been hitting the market for years.  They include fruits that are high in vitamin C and are consider to be antioxidants.  It’s rare to see them made into popsicles, when they are usually sold as health supplements or juices.

These fruit bars don’t just sound good, but are good for you!  It is sweet, but is also tart and tangy too.  I especially prefer the acai and blueberry over the pomegranate.  I assume you can whip up some of these fruit bars yourself if you can get your hands on some acai berries.

There’s even elderberry juice included in the pomegranate bars.  I like that Dryer’s keep their ingredients good and avoid things like high fructose corn syrup.

Another new thing they are doing is helping communities grow more fruit trees.  You can visit their site and vote for a community park where fruit trees will be planted.  I voted for for Santa Rosa, Ca since it’s the closet park being selected that’s near me.  Communities with the most number of votes will receive a fruit tree orchard planted by Dreyer’s Fruit Bars.  They will announce 5 winners the first of each month, May 1 through Sept 1.

“Communities across the United States are ripe for renewal, ready to receive a complete fruit orchard provided by the Dreyer’s Fruit Bars brand and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. Cast your vote for one of our Communities Take Root participants and help them reap the rewards of their own fresh fruit supply. “  Photo from Dreyer’s.

On top of that, Dryer’s also uses 100 % recycled paper board for it’s packaging.  Way to go Dryers!