I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend.
Shortly summer will be upon us. The longer days are one of the best things about summer in the NW. The long evening and twilight are fantastic.
Book Club
Unfortunately, because of the busy schedules of the book club members the May book club was cancelled. Only 3 of us were going to be able to make it that evening. We will have our next meeting in the fall, date and location to be announced. We will be selecting books for the reading season at that time. Our book club evenings with our neighbors is always fun and interesting. It pushes me to read a more varied selection of books than I would normally have on my list. It is always fun to reconnect with each other, catching up and sharing with what has been happening in each other’s lives. So, enjoy reading this summer and keep a list of books you have enjoyed with the idea of recommended it for our list of books for us to read and chat about at our next meeting.
Traveling Neighbors
Several of our neighbors have been traveling about.
- Terry’s went to Hawaii, they went to the “Big Island” and were there when the mountain was doing its stuff. They got a chance to experience “VOG” or volcanic smog while they were there. I’m happy their vacation wasn’t spoiled with Pele’s dramatic rumblings and spewing lava about.
- Bev went to Colorado for some family time. She had a chance to ride the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. www.durangosilvertonralroad.com. I understand it is a great experience.
- Betty spent some time on the east coast, hitting both Virginia and Philadelphia visiting family and friends
- CJ & Luis are here from Madrid. A grandson is graduating from high school which gave them the main reason for coming across the pond. Their schedules are packed with family and friends.
- Laurie and Kaare are off on a Rick Steve’s tour of France. I’m envious, France is one of my favorite places in the world.
Recipe Du Jour
Summer time in the Taylor/Beck kitchen often means entrée salads. We enjoy a varied selection, one of my favorites is the following.
Tex-Mex Taco Salad
Serves 2
Ingredients
½ Cup prepared salsa
2 T reduced-fat sour cream
½ tsp canola oil
1 small onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
8 oz lean ground beef or turkey
1 large plum tomato diced
½ C canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp salt or to taste
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
4 Cups shredded romaine lettuce
¼ C shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
(I often add sliced avocado on top)
Instructions
- Combine salsa and sour cream in a large bowl.
- Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened. 1 or 2 minutes. Add beef (or turkey) and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Add tomato, beans, cumin, chili powder and salt, cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to break down, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in cilantro and 2 Tbsp of the salsa mixture
- Add lettuce to the remaining salsa mixture and toss to coat. Divide the lettuce between 2 large plates, top with the cooked meat and sprinkle with cheese
Recipe from Eating Well Magazine
The containers in the front of the building are planted with summer color. If you happen to walk by it would be great if you would check to see if the soil is dry. In the heat of the summer they will need a drink of water almost once a day. If the soil seems dry, please take the time to give them a splash of water. There is a spigot out of the building and a watering can available behind the rhododendrons. This way we should have a beautiful display for the whole summer.
Social Event
The Ladies Lunch Bunch will get together on Wed. June 6th or for food, fun and frivolity.
Location-3rd floor meeting room
Time-12:15-beverages
12:45 -lunch
We are having a potluck lunch with food being supplied by several our neighbors. I’m looking forward to getting together.
Please bring your calendars so we can get a date set for the Annual Pot luck in Aug. and Christmas party in Dec.
Neighborhood News
Both the Shoreline and Edmonds farmers markets start up again in June.
Shoreline Farmers Market
June 9th – Oct. 6th
15300 Westminster Way N.
Shoreline Place — This is the parking lot shared by the old Sears store and Central Market.
Edmonds Farmers Market
Garden Market-May 5th – June 9th
Summer market-June 16-Oct. 6th.
A bit further away is the ….
Lake Forest Park Farmers Market
Lake Forest Town Center
Sundays year around
10:00 AM-3:00 PM
These are great venues to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables. Lots of craft and of course flowers galore. I love to go to them, get the freshest veggies and fruit available and of course the people watching is outstanding. A great way to spend a Sat. or Sunday AM
Location-Shoreline Center
Sat. June 23rd & 24th
Sat. 10:00 AM-6:00PM
Sun. 10:00 AM -5:00PM
Have you all noticed the reappearance of the Beach Orcas are back in various locations around Richmond Beach? There are 22 orcas’ in total in eight different locations. I think they are a whimsical fun addition to the neighborhood.
Enjoy all the upcoming events going on in our area, whether it is a day at Salt Water Park, or a baseball game. Summer is a beautiful time of year in the NW. Enjoy