Japanese Motor Sports at Laguna Seca in Salinas, Calornia reposted by Ruth Paget

The first ever Japanese Motor Sports showcase will be held from August 12 - 15, 2026 at Laguna Seca in Salinas, California as part of Car Week.

Information about Japanese Motor Sports (JDM) at the 2026 Rolex Motor Sports Reunion follows:

https://weathertechraceway.com/blogs/news/jdm-car-show-2026-rolex-monterey-motorsports-reunion?srsltid=AfmBOop9XtnMhvReUezehC0S9f8RopGzVw67fHszvHFSFmWlcWHHoa3u

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons + 5 other 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 Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coadt California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Millenials Now Love Soccer Mom Minivans reposted by Ruth Paget

Minivan Sales Surging reposted by Ruth Paget

Millenials Seem to Love Minivans with Sales Surges to prove it according to CNN.  Toyota, for example, saw a 35% sales surge in 2025 for minivans.

See the following CNN article for details about how tastes change with age:

https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/26/business/millennials-are-trying-to-make-minivans-cool-again

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

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

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Amazon AI Courses reposted by Ruth Paget

Information about Amazon’s AI Courses and enrollment details follows:

https://aws.amazon.com/ai/learn/

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games and 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Google AI Courses on Coursera.org reposted by Ruth Paget

Cousteau.org offers several AI courses that you can do online.

The link below lists the courses and gives information about how to enroll:

https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/google-ai/paidmedia?utm_medium=sem&utm_source=gg&utm_campaign=b2c_namer_google-ai_google_ftcof_professional-certificates_px_dr_bau_gg_sem_pr-bd_us-ca_en_m_hyb_26-02_x&campaignid=23562859652&adgroupid=193372992156&device=m&keyword=coursera%20ai%20courses&matchtype=b&network=g&devicemodel=&creativeid=797322410638&assetgroupid=&targetid=kwd-839123613269&extensionid=&placement=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23562859652&gbraid=0AAAAADdKX6bHMjFP3IVHzb7EDsVKZJyXT&gclid=CjwKCAjwmozTBhAeEiwAkEGZzsr2VJXyqMO80dwSBPbWP74tY7ooKZSYdRf6iRq_Jt-r4v64GaKDgxoCGlMQAvD_BwE

AI seems to favor people with good reading skills.

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew book on Indian Botanical Art being distributed by UChicago Press reposted by Ruth Paget

Flora Indica: Recovering Lost Stories from Kew’s Indian Drawings, published by the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew is being distributed by the University of Chicago Press.

For information about the book and purchase details click on the link below:

https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/F/bo265674343.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Flora%20Indica&utm_campaign=Distributed%20presses_July%202026

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

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

-creator French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

-

Trans-Cultural Study Guide by Volunteers in Asia Shout-Out by Ruth Paget

I have used the Trans-Cultural Study Guide by Volunteers in Asian to organize books like Eating Soup with Chopsticks about Japan as well as books about the US like Wisconsin Mom and Virginia Mom.

Amazon has some used copies of this old-but-goodie still available:

https://www.amazon.com/Trans-cultural-Study-Guide-Darrow-Volunteers/dp/B000VA2GM4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=X69QUVZPFTRY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HrwKkPk_5k8XfQDTvOUUwvZIZiqGMzrGthVzHydLi6A-K6ZGvH0I7dJ3JbIjtfsuQNAWK1WaTdOsozyXBVt7lBHA8fOfBO1xLjYLpG0KqwVQVQZBd2_d3FMWtXSEvah7_LoopLQ6WFF3tya7nSU4bLHzERYmEgmoqqAa-an7f7HK3bl0Il8j4b4HjY3GYKrP1wTpkiRS_JLdGpQJtWN8vw.ShYFK5Q8pZXtlDLMPdRz139z8t7h_2VYdWSoz45ler8&dib_tag=se&keywords=transcultural+study+guide&qid=1784869481&sprefix=transcultural+study+guide%2Caps%2C231&sr=8-1

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

-

The Artist’s Way book is now an online course reposted by Ruth Paget

When I first started writing, I worked through The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron with my writing group.

The exercises in the book are fun.  The writing group also did potluck dinners.  Everyone liked my vegan bean and rice soup.  (This was a California-based potluck with lots of exotic salads, sugar-substitute cookies, and iced lattes from Carmel Roasting Company.)

Julia Cameron is now doing an online course of The Artist’s Way, which has sold more than 4 million copies.  I wrote 8 books after working through several of Cameron’s books.

Information about The Artist’s Way book and online course follows:

https://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-25th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B006H19H3M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=204Z24I5VVYLH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lwvzYr_Tc-bWbNva_BH0M1u8S2dKYhhQWN0im61i79_AS8z2OGYSzMZLtNZcW1NhrA86pHWr7RkE7uYPcOUNkSYHa9SsSorMQ3IbMxqJ93whl4xHEvWbc58Q73vxt2AB-8bZxSmhy09goIR5NgdGTNzU1tM60Uf_G62khmosyEDs5Pc7nw-sStmOd1TjWBjC51kQwOSedHqhzXBX0pisPw.3hey4nXLa7ZSvhmvPSgN1TeHZaQU4oVLS8P8oTO1xg0&dib_tag=se&keywords=julia+cameron&qid=1784860485&sprefix=julia+cameron%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-1

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

100,000 Visitors Expected for Car Week 2026 reposted by Ruth Paget

I read that 100,000 visitors are expected for Car Week on the Monterey Peninsula in the Monterey County Weekly.

The Weekly noted that this is the 75th anniversary for the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, California, which showcases investment cars.

More information about the upcoming Car Week can be found below:

https://whatsupmonterey.com/events/monterey-car-week

Have fun car shopping and test driving!  Seaside and Salinas have dealerships. 

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen 

-developer of 9 music theory games

Great Deal Broccoli Beef Noodle Stir-Fry Kit from Costco in Sand City, California by Ruth Paget

Great Deal Beef Broccoli Noodle Kit from Costco in Sand City, California by Ruth Paget 

A terrific good deal on beef is the beef broccoli noodle stir-fry kit from Costco in Sand City, California. This kit costs $28.52. 

My family of 3 can eat a generous Chinese meal for about $9.51 per person at that price. 

The beef broccoli noodle stir-fry kit contains: 

-broccoli 

-pre-cooked and seasoned beef strips 

-wheat noodles 

-two packages sauce 

The instructions call for cooking the broccoli 2 minutes and adding chicken after that. The chicken and broccoli are supposed to cook for 2 minute together. Then, you add the sauce and noodles to this mixture and cook it for 2 minutes. All together, this mixture should be ready in 6 minutes. 

I added 2 minutes to each step to obtain sizzling hot food. The broccoli florets came out tender and the stems were crisp tender this way. All together I spent 12 minutes stir-frying this dish with a wok. 12 minutes is a very short cook time. 

I put a lid on the wok when I was done and placed it on the table. When my family was assembled for lunch, I took the lid off the wok and let the hearty aroma steam out of the pan. This lunch tasted as good as the beefy aroma. 

Broccoli is especially nutritious with its Vitamin C and Vitamin K along with fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. The noodles bring you carbohydrates for energy. Beef brings diners protein and iron among other ingredients. 

That is a lot of nutrition for $9.51 per person for this one-pot meal. (Learning how to cook with a wok has its advantages for nutrition and money savings thanks to quick cooking time.) 

Happy Cooking! 

By Ruth Paget 

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Wine and Cheese Tasting on July 24, 2026 in Carmel, California reposted by Ruth Paget

The Salinas Valley Tribune’s Online Event Calendar lists a Wine and Cheese Tasting Event at the Cheese Shop in Carmel, California on July 24, 2026.

Event details and ticket purchase information from the Salinas Valley Event Calendar follow:

https://salinasvalleytribune.com/events-calendar/#/details/wine-cheese-pairing-by-the-cheese-shops-kent-torrey/19304155/2026-07-24T17?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Culture%20Rustler%3A%20The%20Salinas%20Valley%20Events%20Calendar&utm_campaign=Culture%20Rustler%3A%20The%20Salinas%20Valley%20Events%20Calendar

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

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

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

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

AI Outperforming Wine Writers according to Chicago Booth Review reposted by Ruth Paget

The Chicago Booth Review analyzes the performance of AI against wine writers and finds AI to produce more profits in the wine industry.

The entire article follows:

https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/ai-is-coming-marketing-department?source=ic-em-20260721&mkt_tok=MjUwLUNRSC05MzYAAAGjJCqyagZk_Js0OpWYDZdBxgl3hKEK0cLMW_wt68Y4Yic6UZauBJ1xtjzVrYvfh8Jg53AAB7Ur6SWcL7eU-12qDWNE1hd9XPQ1I1ECy-dLU889r3w

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Great Courses Travel Downloads Look Enticing! Reposted by Ruth Paget

The Great Courses are offering several travel courses to help prepare for trips or do armchair traveling.  

Three of the courses I Thought looked very good include:

-Rome in the Time of Caesars

-Exploring Southern Italy’s History, Art, and Archaeology

-Ancient Treasures of Turkey

Information about these courses follows:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19f845cec88a1a31

I have used Great Courses to study photography, macroeconomics, nutrition, and tai chi and qigong and have been happy with the course offerings.

It is fun to browse through their entire course catalog.

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

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

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

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

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Pretty Great Garlic Chicken at Golden Star Chinese Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Pretty Great Garlic Chicken at Golden Star Chinese Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

One of my favorite Chinese food-as-medicine dishes is garlic chicken. At Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas (California), garlic chicken is especially delicious with the addition of seasonal, organic vegetables. 

Golden Star’s garlic chicken is similar to the one by Teresa Shields makes on Allrecipes.com, which calls for: 

1-Heating peanut oil in a wok and stir-frying garlic, ginger, and green onions. These vegetables are called the aromatics for flavoring the peanut oil. 

2-Chicken pieces are added and stir-fried till opaque. More garlic is added and stir-fried. 

3-Sweet onions, bell peppers, and cabbage are next added in and stir-fried. The onions and bell peppers are called seasonings and flavor the chicken and other vegetables.

4-At Golden Star, the restaurant adds thinly sliced carrots and mushrooms to the mixture above and stir-fries them. 

5-A small amount of chicken broth is added next, and the wok is covered.

6-While the wok contents are steaming, the cook makes a sauce of chicken broth, soy sauce, a little sugar, and cornstarch. The cornstarch thickens the sauce. The sauce is added and stirred till steaming. The garlic chicken is served immediately with rice. 

The combination of garlic and vegetables in this dish is delicious, especially the mushrooms which bring out the umami flavor in the garlic chicken. 

Golden Star is an unpretentious neighborhood Chinese restaurant that makes use of the choice of 200+ vegetables grown in the Salinas Valley outside Salinas, California. 

I initially went to Golden Star Chinese Restaurant to support a local business and loved how good the food was. Their large menu can accommodate just about all diners. 

The food at Golden Star Chinese Restaurant is reasonably priced and merits a look on the online menu for interested potential customers. 

By Ruth Paget 

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books 

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

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

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

Reliably Delicious Food at Woody's at the Monterey Airport (15 minutes from Salinas, California) by Ruth Paget

Reliably Delicious Food at Woody’s at the Monterey Airport (15 minutes away from Salinas, California) by Ruth Paget 

Thanks to visitors from around the US and overseas, the menu at Woody’s Bar and Grill at the Monterey Airport offers a variety of dishes including traditional American bar fare and items like potstickers, seared ahi salad, and sirloin bites for golfers, professors, comfortable retirees, and TV and movie stars. 

On a recent (July 2026) visit to Woody’s after several hot days, my family went to dinner at Woody’s. We arrived early to secure an upstairs booth in an air-conditioned room. (Reservations recommended) 

My daughter Florence Paget and my husband Laurent began their meal with cups of clam chowder. I ordered chicken potstickers, which were plump, meaty, juicy, and umami delicious. Nine came in what I thought was a generous portion for appetizers. 

I ordered what has become an American bar classic: fish and chips. At Woody’s, they serve three large pieces of Pacific Rock Cod that has a beer batter, deep-fried crust. I loved the creamy, tartar sauce with piquant pickles, and the spicy cocktail sauce with freshly grated horseradish. 

Laurent ordered a tomato – fennel cream pasta with a side of burrata cheese to go on grilled crostini. Florence ate a large sirloin steak with a baked potato with butter and cream cheese. People in town know that Woody’s has great steak, especially the prime rib special on Friday nights. 

For dessert, Laurent ate house made raspberry sorbet, and Florence drank an espresso martini. I love bar – restaurants that serve reliably delicious food like Woody’s at the Monterey Airport in California. 

Travelers and locals alike might be surprised by the variety of choices worthy of a steak and seafood restaurant on the shoreline. 

By Ruth Paget 

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

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, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books 

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games and 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 Center

--creator French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory 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, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator French travel and culture games

-writer 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipe and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory 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, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 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 Center

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory 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, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 1800+ Central Coast Californian lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

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, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory 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, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other 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 Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work include mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington's recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchn

-developer of 9 music theory games