Mothers’ Day 2026 in Monterey County California by Ruth Paget

Mothers’ Day 2026 in Monterey County, California by Ruth Paget 

For Mother’s Day 2026, my family and I went to some of my favorite places in Monterey County with a lunch delivery from Avatar Indian Grill in Salinas, California. 

My husband Laurent, daughter Florence, and I started our day at Pebble Beach. I drank a Peerless organic coffee from The Market by the Lodge and enjoyed breathing in the misty Del Monte Forest air as we drove along 17-Mile Drive. 

At the beach, I did some bird watching. The brown pelicans were out flying in V-formation low over the water with some diving for fish. Black, long-necked cormorants fluttered past along with seagulls. White Great Egrets stalked frogs and stranded fish along the coast as well. I never tire of watching these birds that fly over crashing waves. 

After my communing with nature at the beach, we drove past deer nibbling grass on the golf course as we drove out to Highway 1 towards Carmel Valley Road. We drove past nurseries, vineyards, luxury hotels, horse ranches, upscale homes, and restaurants on the way to Carmel Valley Park. 

I did some forest bathing in the mountain air and soaking up sunshine in the warm park. I like the well-groomed ornamental trees outside the Carmel Valley History Museum and houses on the mountainsides that remind me of Japan for their designs that blend into the slopes. 

We drove over scenic Laureles Grade to Highway 68 east towards Salinas and past Corral de Tierra, site of John Steinbeck's collection of short stories entitled The Pastures of Heaven. 

At home, I ordered one of my favorite treat meals from Avatar Indian Grill – coconut curry vegetables with rice and naan bread. The vegetables were seasonal, organic ones from the Salinas Valley (onions, green peppers,  zucchini, carrots, and mushroom). I drank a Peroni Nastro Azzuro Italian lager beer with my meal and thought I had a nice, relaxed Mother’s Day. 

Florence and Laurent finished my already great day with gifts of two dozen pink roses and a Pebble Beach cheese and charcuterie board. 

I am thankful for my family and living in a community that has areas for nature walks, bird watching, forest bathing, and restaurants that serve delicious and healthy food. 

Note: Hikers may be interested in trying out several of the trails at Pebble Beach. The following guide below has steps noted on them as well: 

https://www.pebblebeach.com/insidepebblebeach/happy-trails-tips-to-hiking-the-del-monte-forest-in-pebble-beach/

Note: My family read this blog and forgot they also bought me a perfume - La Vie est Belle by Lancôme.   Jasmine is one of the ingredients along with orange flowers.  Mom is delighted.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

A Diet for the 21st Century: Mediterranean Style by Ruth Paget

A Diet for the 21st Century by Ruth Paget 

To adapt my diet to the needs of the 21st century, I read More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes – Endless Inspiration for Eating Well by America’s Test Kitchen based in Boston, Massachusetts. 

Two issues in particular have influenced the 21st century: 

-greater food insecurity even in the United States, which has historically exported food surplus 

-a world population that has almost doubled since I was a teenager 

For example, In 2025, 7.822 million women who are pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding women, and young children need the services of Women, Infants, and Children according to to the USDA WICData Tables below (2025 is the latest data available):

https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/wic-program

Without WIC these individuals would be food insecure. 

I used the Macrotrends website for world population figures below: 

2025: 8.19 billion 

1979: 4.36 billion 

To use the Macrotrends website below, slide your finger along the chart to find years and population data:

https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/wld/world/population 

Higher population levels place a strain on existing food resources, which encourages the greater consumption of lower-priced vegetables. 

I happen to like vegetables, so I found many recipes to try at home and look for in restaurants and delicatessens in More Mediterranean. This cookbook also provides what they describe as vegetable-heavy fish and seafood dishes. I love fish and seafood, so I found these recipes appealing as well. 

America’s Test Kitchen describes the Mediterranean Diet as very desirable to follow for its health benefits:  

-wards off heart disease 

-encourages good gut health 

-promotes positive mental health 

-prevents Alzheimer’s Disease and cancer 

America’s Test Kitchen writes that the approach to following the Mediterranean Diet had changed from a pyramid approach to a plate approach. The Mediterranean Meal should look like the following: 

-1/2 plate vegetables and fruits 

-roughly ¼ plate whole grains (3/8 plate)

-roughly ¼ plate protein (1/8 plate)

Vegetarian protein combinations take on more of a significance here with seed and grain and pulse (lentils for example) and grain combinations augmenting the protein on the plate. 

My family also uses 00 flour to make bread. This flour traditionally used in Neapolitan pizza dough has a high protein content by itself that can augment the protein content of a meal with smaller portions of meat.  

Another reason I like the More Mediterranean cookbook is its inclusion of recipes from Mediterranean Africa and the Middle East in addition to Mediterranean Europe. 

The spice blends from these regions all by themselves would probably be good with buttered pasta, buttered rice, and baked potatoes with sour cream and butter. 

Several of the recipes I would try or buy at a delicatessen include: 

-beet salad with spiced yogurt and watercress 

-parsley – cucumber salad with feta cheese, pomegranate, and walnuts

-horiatiki Greek village salad with chopped vegetables, oregano, and feta cheese 

People who already like going to farmers’ markets will find much to like in More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes – Endless Inspiration for Eating Well by America’s Test Kitchen. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Top 10 Tailgate Pregame Recipes reposted by Ruth Paget

I thought the following Top 10 Tailgate Pregame Recipes looked very appetizing.

I especially like how the tailgate pregames parties create community for the game attendees and get all the vehicles parked way before the game starts.

The recipes follow:

https://barbecuebible.com/2019/10/25/10-best-tailgating-recipes/

Maybe the concessions could sell some items or services  to make this tradition easier to maintain like selling sides such macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, gazpacho in drink containers, Greek salads, sodas, coffee drinks, team merchandise, and garbage and recycle take away.  

Parking spots are numbered so this could be organized like curbside pick-up.

Leftover food could be sold through Too Good to Go or a similar organization.

Just a thought on a rainy day.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

New $15 Million Gift to UChicago Law School Will Fund More Scholarships reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago Law School has received a new $15 million gift to fund scholarships. 

To date David M. Rubenstein has contributed $70 million to the University of Chicago Law School to fund 220 full-tuition scholarships to the law school.

More information about this important gift from UChicago News follows:

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/david-m-rubenstein-jd73-extends-support-rubenstein-scholars-program-15-million-gift?utm_medium=05.28email&utm_source=UChicagoNews&mkt_tok=MjUwLUNRSC05MzYAAAGiDp27XFkXlrmTOmTjb9EvQLutGCPWTdAVd_wsoLZYGQv9O7KpLSwp6-p80-YeSfKVxRQi_TTsmhHqaHDFy0lDDBSL9zZ5RiqABoaYXiRyxMWJi_M

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

The Gilded not Golden Renaissance - Read all about it in Inventing the Renaissance on sale by UChicago Press reposted by Zruth Paget

Ada Palmer’s Inventing the Renaissance discusses the myth of the Renaissance and its darker side in this debunking book on sale now by the University of Chicago Press.

Information about Inventing the Renaissance and purchase details follow:

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo246135916.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Inventing%20the%20Renaissance&utm_campaign=Reader%27s%20Picks%20May%202026

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

First Tee Golf Camps Starting Soon reposted by Ruth Paget

First Tee Golf-Based Summer Camps are starting soon across Monterey County.

For information about the First Tee Summer Golf Camp, check out their website below:

https://firstteemontereycounty.org/

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Elaine Douvas, Oboe, at Hidden Valley in Carmel Valley, California reposted Ruth Paget

Elaine Douvas, Oboe, who has performed for the Metropolitan Opera, will be in concert at Hidden Valley in Carmel Valley, California on June 2, 2026 according to the Monterey County Community Calendar.

More information and ticket purchase details from the Monterey County Weekly Calendar follow:

https://www.montereycountynow.com/events/#/details/masters-concert-elaine-douvas-oboe/18885965/2026-06-02T19

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games