Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Antioxidant-rich rose hips are fragrant tools for culinary experimentation.
At this time of year, finding rose hips is as easy as going into your backyard. That cherry-sized fruit left behind after the rose blossom dies is actually a highly-nutritious culinary gem—so don't be too quick to toss it in with your other dead clippings. Rose hips are higher in antioxidants than green tea, and also loaded with vitamin C, so it isn't hard to see why they have been used medicinally for centuries. In the kitchen, rose hips can easily be turned into teas or infused into simple syrup to pour over a bowl of vanilla ice cream for an elegant dinner party dessert, or to lace a refreshing summertime cocktail with, for a delicate floral note. If you have a surplus of rose hips and you want to get really fancy, consider making rose…
Thursday, May 3, 2012
It's National Teacher Appreciation Day and we want to know who's doing it right in Capitola-Soquel.
You hear it over and over again: Teachers are the most fundamental yet most underpaid sector of society. For a lot of kids, school is a chore. But with time comes perspective, and perspective lends itself to appreciating the underappreciated. Today, May 3, is National Teacher Appreciation Day – a day to recognize all the great educators we have in our community. So we want to know who you, your kids, your friends, etc. appreciate the most from their time in school. Who are some of the stand-out teachers at Soquel High, New Brighton Middle School, Soquel Elementary School, Main Street Elementary, etc.? Soquel Choir Director Mark Bidelman is receiving a 2012 EDDY Innovation Award, and Soquel Elementary School teacher Theresa Coyle was …
Monday, April 30, 2012
April 30 is Hairstylist Appreciation Day. Where do you go to get your haircut and who is your favorite barber/hairstylist?
Did you know that April 30 is Hairstylist Appreciation Day? And seriously, it's important. People see your hair every day, right? Well, unless you're Bruce Willis or you're really into hoodies. It's easy to take your barber/hairstylist for granted. If you haven't seen them since your last haircut, which could have been two months ago or a year ago, they're just not in the forefront of your mind. But when you look in the mirror, at least today, April 30, toss a little appreciation to whomever it is that styled those beautiful locks shining back at you. So now that it's on your mind, who are you appreciative of today? We have a good crop of hairstylists in Capitola-Soquel. Over at Plaza Barber Shop, Martha gives out massages to top off …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
What do you think of the school that will replace the community garden at Jade Street Park?
Wednesday, April 11 is a long-awaited day for the Soquel Union Elementary School District. Finally, after years of planning and commission approvals, they broke ground on the new Opal Cliffs School project. The school will serve preschoolers and kindergarteners, totaling about 80 students in all. According to the school district, it will be "an educational setting that will enhance the Capitola community in providing an outstanding learning environment ... for the 2012-13 school year." But the school also comes at a price to the community, as the Jewel Box neighborhood has had to sacrifice its community garden, that had come to flourish in its location next to the community center. Plenty of residents were upset at the loss of great …
Friday, March 30, 2012
Massa Organics sells raw and roasted almonds at the Santa Cruz Farmers Markets.
Massa Organics takes great pride in their almonds. The dry roasted almonds are toasted to a crunchy perfection, and their raw almonds, although not nearly as flavorful, are fresh and equally addictive. At harvest time, which happens at the end of summer, the almonds grown at Massa Organics are shaken from the trees onto tarps, and then drying them for ten days before raking them up and dry roasting them to perfection. "Everywhere else you get organic almonds, they don't have to say that they're pastuerized but they're heated to a certain degree, these aren't heated at all, their just really fresh," said Eve Krammer, who sells Massa Organics almonds, almond butter and brown rice at the Santa Cruz Community Farmers Markets. Massa Organics …
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
There are plans in motion for a new course at Anna Jean Cummings Park. What do you think?
Current and former Soquel High students are in the planning phase of a new nine-hole disc golf course at Anna Jean Cummings Park, also called Blue Ball Park. While there is plenty of support for the idea from within the school, neighbors of the park have come out against it, particularly those who enjoy walking their dogs on the trails. The course, while in support of an ever-growing sport, also poses a potential risk to motorists, and could transform the culture of the park. On the other hand, it provides an all-ages activity that is otherwise unavailable in town (the closest courses are in Aptos and Santa Cruz). So what do you think? Do you support the idea of a new disc golf course? Vote in the poll below and tell us in the comments!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Britannia Arms is your choice for best St. Patrick's Day celebration spot in Capitola-Soquel, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley.
In this week's "Readers' Choice" contest, 166 voters cast their ballots for the best place in all of Capitola-Soquel, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. And the winner is: Britannia Arms in Capitola with 56 votes (33 percent). One reviewer on Yelp said, "I have enjoyed most all of the restaurants Capitola has to offer, but this is the best all around. The owners Andy and Sydney are gracious hosts that make your experience the best." Coming in second with 28 votes was Cafe Cruz in Soquel, followed by Britannia Arms Aptos and Michael's on Main in Soquel. Check out the poll here to see all of the votes. To leave a review for Britannia Arms, click here and comment away. Next week, Patch is launching another Readers' …
Friday, March 9, 2012
Dates are a healthy alternative to sweet snacks and a culinary treat.
Contrary to popular belief, dates are not a fruit. They are more technically a grain, as they come from the world’s second largest species of grass: the Phoenix dactylifera, or date palm. “It digests way differently than a dried fruit. The way we sell the dates at the market is exactly how we pick them. We don't do anything to them, there's no drying, and there's nothing added to them,” said Robert Lower, owner of Flying Disc Ranch, who has been selling dates at the Santa Cruz Farmers Markets for the past ten years. Flying Disc Ranch grows around 12 different varieties of dates, and usually has around six or seven at the market. Lower has been growing dates since 1974, and they flourish in the hot arid climate of Coachella Valley, just …
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
What should fill this current eye sore?
From Pleasure Pizza to Safeway and Best Buy, 41st Avenue is lined with business after business. Many storefronts have become vacant in recent years as economical woes continue. But that hasn't stopped some development from moving forward. At the very end of 41st, where Soquel Drive crosses perpendicularly, sits a lot that is primed for development. Currently nothing worth a second glance with junked cars and overgrown weeds, the lot is set to be built upon by Bei Scott Properties with retail space available. What would you like to see go in that spot? What do Capitola and Soquel absolutely need that they don't currently have? Last week, readers suggested Old Navy, Lane Bryant and an Apple Store for the Capitola Mall vacancies. Tell us what…
Friday, February 24, 2012
Make a light and nutrient-rich Springtime salad.
Spring is when things start to get really good at the Santa Cruz County Farmers Markets. Sure, potato leek soup and winter squash were delicious, but as more and more vegetables hit the stands, our culinary horizons get a refreshing stretch, often towards the lighter side of things. A recent 75-degree day inspired a salad experimentation with two very powerful superfoods: microgreens and quinoa. For those who recoil at the word "quinoa," I implore you to give it a chance. Quinoa is fail proof. To cook it all you do is add one part quinoa, two parts water, bring to a boil, and then simmer until all of the water is absorbed. It's a complete protein, and is especially high in the amino acid lysine, essential for tissue growth and healing. It …
Jennifer Squires
9:24 am on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
I've been thinking about making a rose hips and lavendar beer for summer, maybe with a little citrus in it also. Anyone else tried brewing with rose hips? more ›