Good Deal Tex-Mex Fajitas Kit at Costco in Sand City, California by Ruth Paget

Good Deal Tex-Mex Fajitas Kit at Costco in Sand City, California by Ruth Paget 

The Tex-Mex fajitas kits at Costco in Sand City, California that sell for $22.86 (as of 6-20-2026) are a great deal for 3 to 4 people. 

I make these fajitas for 3 people for $7.62 per person. My family eats everything in the kit at one meal. 

The Costco fajitas kit includes: 

-pre-cooked, seasoned asada beef strips to be heated up in the microwave

-pre-cooked, seasoned al pastor chicken strips to be heated up in the microwave 

-sliced red, yellow, and green bell peppers 

-sliced yellow onions 

-spicy red salsa 

-cilantro lime crema sauce 

-spicy cheese sauce to be warmed up 

-12 flour tortillas to be warmed up 

-4 lime quarters to squeeze in beer 

I heated the meat and chicken up for 4 minutes each in the microwave. I grilled the peppers and onions till they had char marks on a Cuisinart grill for 15 minutes. The vegetables reduced to 1/3 of their original size. I also warmed the tortillas for a minute till hot in the microwave. 

The meat and vegetables were sizzling hot when we all sat down to eat. (Handle the hot dishes and food with care.) We drank Peroni lager beers with lime juice squeezed in with our meal. 

My family has been eating fajitas at home to watch World Cup Soccer matches. (We ate Costco club sandwiches for some matches, too.) 

People who like Tex-Mex food might enjoy cooking fajitas at home to add to sports night dining options. 

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France + 6 Kindle books 

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games and 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games_

World Cup Final Watch Party at Salinas Soccer Complex on July 18 & 19, 2026 reposted by Ruth Paget

The Salinas Regional Soccer Complex will host a World Cup Soccer viewing party on July 18 & July 19, 2026 on the big screen.

The admission is free with some fundraising options.  Information follows:

https://salinassoccer.org/world-cup-watch-party-salinas-regional-soccer-complex/

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

90,000 attendees at the Salinas Rodeo this week reposted by Ruth Paget

Salinas Rodeo Brings Population Surge!

I read that 90,000 people are in town for the Salinas, California Rodeo this week with a concert by Grammy winner Miranda Lambert in the Monterey County Weekly’s online newsletter.

There is a weekly farmers’ market at the Rodeo from 4 pm to 9 pm with food, merchandise, and entertainment.  There is a farmers’ market with food trucks on Saturdays in Old Town Salinas as well.

We have Western clothing and boots stores galore in town with custom cowboy hat makers as well.

There is also a Salinas Rodeo Museum and Carnival at the Rodeo grounds.

Have fun!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France + 6 Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Clasical Western Civilization War Games

Easy Italian Starter Dishes by Ruth Paget

Easy Italian Starter Dishes by Ruth Paget 

Food Network star Giada de Laurentis writes in her book Giada in the Kitchen (Available on Amazon Kindle) that she studied cooking in Rome and worked as a personal chef before appearing on television. 

I think being a personal chef is a good gig job to earn extra money to pay bills and/or invest that can turn into full-time work, if desired in the food industry. 

De Laurentis makes use of seasonal produce, which Salinas (California) has in abundance in its six farmers’ markets and supermarkets selling organic produce. 

Three of the recipes in Giada in the Kitchen that I think are great for ease of preparation and maximum flavor follow: 

*Tomato, Watermelon, and Basil Skewers with a sweet Balsamic vinaigrette sprinkled on them 

*Roman Summer Salad made with Balsamic vinegar, green and black olives, parsley, crushed anchovy filets, capers, garlic chives, pepper, olive oil, and tomatoes 

*Hearty tomato soup made with puréed onions, carrots, garlic, white cannellini beans, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and rosemary. To this puréed mixture, you fold in heavy cream beaten into peaks. 

De Laurentis calls this hearty tomato soup an après-ski dish. 

Giada in the Kitchen by Giada de Laurentis has many recipes that can be used by personal chefs, caterers, and home cooks. That is what I find to be the real beauty of her books. 

By Ruth Paget 

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France + 6 Kindle books 

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Museum

-creator of French Travel and Culture Games

-writer of 1,800+ Central Coast Californian lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist whose work includes editing 250 of my grandmother and father’s recipes and 150 recipes I created at the onset of COVID-19 and posting them Online at Ruthpaget.blogspot.com

UChicago Press book The Library of Ancient Wisdom Shares Mesopotamian History reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago Press book The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World by Selena Winsom discusses the fire that destroyed the last Assyrian library and yet conserved its contents made of clay tablets written in cuneiform script.

Details and purchase information about The Library of Ancient Wisdom follow:

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/L/bo250606275.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Trinity&utm_campaign=New%20Buyers%20Welcome_7-14-26

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France + 6 Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

PhotoWalk in Carmel, California on July 18, 2026 reposted by Ruth Paget

The Online Community Calendar of the Monterey County Weekly lists the PhotoWalk in Carmel, California on July 18, 2026.

This event organized by the Center for Photographic Art invites participants to visit Carmel’s galleries with featured photographers’ work on display.

Details about this event showcasing Carmel’s contribution to photographic art follow:

https://www.montereycountynow.com/events/#/details/photowalk-carmel-2026/19382014/2026-07-18T13

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Easy Italian Appetizers by Ruth Paget

Easy Italian Appetizers by Ruth Paget 

Giada de Laurentis writes in her cookbook Giada at Home (Available on Amazon Kindle) that she studied Italian cooking in Rome and worked as a personal chef before becoming a Food Network personality. 

Working as a personal chef seems to be a good gig job that can become a full-time career for people interested in working in the food and beverage industry. Getting a first job is probably tough as it is most industries, but de Laurentis provides a clue as to where to start: appetizers. 

Just based on my personal experience, I know that I buy and like tortilla chips and pico de gallo salsa as an everyday appetizer. De Laurentis writes that many people buy chips and dip like me, but with a little planning homemade appetizers can elevate meals, especially when entertaining. 

Three of the appetizers de Laurentis describes make use of grilled baguette bread rounds as a base for spreadable toppings in appetizers called crostini. (Very hard crostini are called bruschetta.) 

Three crostini appetizers that make great use of produce, which you can find at all six of the farmers’ markets in Salinas, California include: 

*Roasted Eggplant Crostini 

-these are made with roasted eggplant puréed with white cannellini beans, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper as a topping 

*Artichoke Crostini 

-these are made with puréed artichoke hearts, white cannellini beans, Pecorino Romano cheese, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper This purée is spread on top of the bruschetta with crumbled pieces of roasted prosciutto sprinkled over the bruschetta.

Rome is famous in Italy for its artichokes according to de Laurentis. Just outside Salinas, Castroville (California) has become the US capital of artichoke production. Castroville holds an annual artichoke festival. Marilyn Monroe was one of the artichoke festival’s queens for some local gossip. 

*Pea Pesto Crostini 

De Laurentis uses frozen peas in this recipe and purées them with Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and olive oil to spread on top of the crostini. Halved cherry tomatoes are placed on top of the pea pesto for added color and flavor. 

These three crostini are good to make at home and can be part of a personal chef’s portfolio of items to offer potential clients. 

Giada at Home by Giada de Laurentis contains many clearly written recipes that make use of seasonal produce, which both help home cooks and aspiring personal chefs keep costs down. 

The link below has information about working as a personal chef. Check if you need a safe food handling course, insurance, and any permits with local governments. 

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/03/personal-chef-information-to-consider.html?m=1

Happy Cooking! 

By Ruth Paget 

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France + 6 Kindle books 

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games and Classical Western Civilization War Games (8)