Costco’s Quiche Lorraine is a Deep-Dish Quiche! By Ruth Paget

I made Costco’s Quiche Lorraine for lunch today and really liked it -

The quiche was about 3 inches thick and almost reminded me of deep-dish pizza.

There was enough quiche for 8 portions.  Leftovers went into Pyrex containers to be eaten for lunch tomorrow.

Some of my favorite ingredients are in quiche - eggs, cheese, cream, and savory ham.  

We drank a De Tierra Coco red wine from Salinas’s local winery tucked away in Corral de Tierra made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel The Pastures of Heaven.  

If you like quiche, Costco’s deli quiche is a pretty good deal especially on busy event weekends.

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

Hot Pot Trending on Tik Tok and my Cookbook Recommendation by Ruth Paget

I saw that H Mart’s Chinese Hot Pot Kit has people lining up at stores almost like a video games or manga release.

My blog about Jeff Mao’s Hot Pot Cookbook might provide some interesting recipes for first-time purchasers:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2023/04/chinese-hot-pot-meals-by-ruth-paget.html?m=1

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

Kalanchoe Flowering Plants from Madagascar at Lowe's Nursery in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Kalanchoe Flowering Plants from Madagascar at Lowe’s Nurserty in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

On a trip out to Lowe’s Nursery in Salinas, California by Northridge Mall, I saw that Lowe’s was selling the perkiest, blooming plant called a kalanchoe whose origins are in the island of Madagascar off the eastern coast of Africa. 

The flowering blooms in this plant at Lowe’s were a tight cluster of pink in a naturally forming bouquet surrounded by a ring of green leaves at the bottom of the plant. 

The kalanchoa would look great by a specials board in a coffee shop, diner, or bistro. Hotels might like to place this plant on a counter with brochures about area shops (shopper guides noting store specialties), restaurants, spa services, and tourism sites. 

The kalanchoa plants require little water and are pretty safe to place next to promotional materials. More information about the kalanchoa plant follows below: 

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/kalanchoe/#:~:text=Factsheet%20%7C%20HGIC%201563%20%7C%20Published:,houseplant%20fertilizer%20once%20a%20month.

As of today, kalanchoa flowering plants sell for $12.99. Information about this plant and others for sale at Lowe’s Nursery follows:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Multicolor-Kalanchoe-in-1-4-Quart-Pot/3628346?store=3095&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-lwn-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_LWN_Online_Mid_Priority(E+Band)_Omni-_-3628346-_-local-_-22862735652-_-&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22862735652&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W8u5cdqRslx8uc91NE-qkPGX

Lowe’s by Northridge Mall in Salinas, California has a large nursery next to its hardware store with competitive prices and a large parking lot. It is located off Highway 101 by North Main Street. 

For San Jose and Bay Area visitors, a plant, herb, or even a tree or two make great souvenirs of a trip to Salinas and Monterey County. 

A place like Lowe’s Nursery is important if you want your town to be like a French “ville fleurie” – a town decorated with flowers. Information about France’s Villes Fleuries program follows:

https://www.travelfranceonline.com/villes-et-villages-fleuris-basic-facts/

Happy Nursery Strolling! 

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

May 1 in Salinas, California - Spring Carnival is Here posted by Ruth Paget

For more information about the Spring Carnival in Salinas, California today through May 10, 2026, check out my blog below:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/04/spring-carnival-may-1-to-may-10-2026-at.html?m=1

A carnival in town always reminds me of California writer Ray Bradbury’s dark fantasy novel entitled Something Evil This Way Comes. 

Maybe there is a movie idea here too.

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

Sky Pencil Japanese Holly Trees at Carmel Valley Park, California by Ruth Paget

Sky Pencil Japanese Holly Trees at Carmel Valley Park, Carmel by Ruth Paget

Out for a walk at the Carmel Valley Park outside Carmel, California, I used the Google lens app to identify flowers, shrubs, and trees around the park.

One of the most interesting trees I saw was a Sky Pencil Japanese Holly that had been trimmed to look like tapering columns on either side of the entrance to the Carmel Valley History Museum (open on weekends and just in time for the 2026 Carmel Valley Garden Show).

According to the Monrovia Nursery Site, these trees are rabbit resistant and can tolerate pollution.  They are ornamental trees that can grow in tight spaces and tolerate pollution, making them good decorative plants for cities.

A photo and information about Sky Pencil Japanese Holly Trees follow:

https://www.monrovia.com/sky-pencil-japanese-holly.html

Happy Garden Strolling!

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

Business of Being a Writer book sold by UChicago Press reposted by Ruth Paget

The writing resource book entitled Business of Being a Writer by Jane Friedman and published by the University of Chicago Press might interest writers in Monterey County California.

Details about this book and purchase information follow:

https://cdcshoppingcart.uchicago.edu/Cart2/ChicagoBook?ISBN=9780226838656&PRESS=CHICAGO&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BUY%20THIS%20BOOK&utm_campaign=Reader%27s%20Picks%20April%202026

Keep Writing!

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

Beginnings of a New Zealand Christmas Tree Canopy in the Costco Parking Lot in Sand City, California by Ruth Paget

New Zealand Christmas Trees in Costco Parking Lot in Sand City, California by Ruth Paget 

City planners in Sand City, California (part of Monterey County) planted New Zealand trees in the parking lot of Costco at Sand City be Seaside to help beautify grocery shopping trips. 

This hardwood tree native to New Zealand and called Pohutukawa by the indigenous Maori people there has begun to grow red-orange flowers in May. The trees are being pruned to provide a tree canopy along sidewalks to the Costco store entrance. 

These trees are relatively drought resistant once growing is established with flowers that seem to attract bees, migrating monarch butterflies, and hummingbirds. 

On the Central Coast, Santa Barbara began planting these trees in the 1800s according to the Santa Barbara Beautiful website which follows: 

https://sbbeautiful.org/new-zealand-christmas/

The nursery photo in the website below shows New Zealand Christmas Trees in bloom: 

https://useyardwork.com/products/new-zealand-christmas-tree-metrosideros-excelsa?srsltid=AfmBOopbh_e0u3pc52CwitKRkHei43SMq4vJIS5MGVKMvTsie8RNBnbC

To add a nature walk dimension to your Costco outings, look up on the way to the store to check out the beginnings of a shaded stately tree canopy to the store. 

Happy Strolling! 

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

Viking Tours for Kids in Solvang, California

Viking Tours for Kids in Solvang, California

Seriously cute, fine, and educational scavenger hunt and meal for kids in Danish settlement Solvang, California.

Solvang’s architecture is Danish so this kids’ tour has an almost fantasy element to it except that the town was really built by Danish settlers.

Information about the kids’ tour and ticket purchase follow:

https://secretsolvang.com/kids-viking-tour/

Looks like fun!

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

Artist Eric Ravilious’s Edition of Twelfth Night on sale today by UChicago Press reposted by Ruth Paget

Artist Eric Ravilious illustrated Twelfth Night on sale today for $19.99 by University of Chicago Press

Artist Eric Ravilious illustrated Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in 1932.  The book’s artwork summons up the Elizabethan Era through its wood engravings and typography.

Ravilious’s work was almost not published due to the Great Depression.

Information about this facsimile edition and purchase details follow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19dd93c790f157d3

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

The Everything Chinese Cookbook at $3.99 on Kindle for Beginning Chinese Cooks by Ruth Paget

The Everything Chinese Cookbook at $3.99 on Kindle for Beginning Cooks by Ruth Paget 

The Everything Chinese Cookbook selling for $3.99 on Kindle is a stellar resource for cooks who are just beginning to try cooking Chinese food for health and money savings. 

This Kindle e-book is 712 pages long and contains 300 recipes drawing from all food groups. My favorite recipes for health and money saving come from the chicken, vegetable, and rice and noodle sections. 

I have cooked from several Chinese cookbooks notably those by Fuchsia Dunlop and Ken Hom, but I like The Everything Chinese Cookbook for several reasons: 

-it promotes lower-calorie stir-fries that omit the addition of slurry finishes at the end of cooking. Slurry is a corn starch and water mixture that thickens sauces and adds a glossy sheen to a dish.

-greatly reduced use of sugar in cooking 

-greatly reduced usage of sweet Chinese cooking wine which adds flavors and calories 

-a huge variety of recipes to make use of seasonal produce at the market 

The Everything Chinese Cookbook by Rhoda Lauret Parkinson is a great resource for people wanting to make their first forays into Chinese cooking. 

The Kindle price of $3.99 today for 300 recipes in a 712-page book is also great for budget minded Kindle users. 

Note: There is an organic market in Marina, California on Sundays that sells many Asian produce items. Marina has several Chinese restaurants and markets as well close to the farmers’ market.  

Happy Cooking! 

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

No Fuss Swiss Cheese - Mushroom Burgers at Chili's in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

No Fuss Swiss Cheese Mushroom Burgers at Chili’s in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

Sometimes a no fuss, no surprises, and delicious dinner is just what you want for delivery and that is what Chili’s delivers in sturdy packaging. 

For dinner, I recently order a Swiss Cheese – Mushroom Burger from Chili’s in Salinas, California – a national chain restaurant. This burger came with tangy melted Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, sautéed mushroom slices, tomato slices, crunchy iceberg lettuce leaves, and mayonnaise. 

The side I chose to go with this juicy burger was thin, sautéed asparagus. After living in Germany (the original home of the hamburger is Hamburg, German) for five years, I am pretty sure Germans, Swiss, and Austrians would gladly eat the Swiss cheese burger at Chili’s like I did on a busy night especially for delivery, which was just coming in there in the early 2010s in Stuttgart. 

Monterey County California produces onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, lettuce, and asparagus (a true spring vegetable in both California and Germany). All five vegetables were fresh and tasted like summer was definitely coming.

I drank an Alvarado Street Brewery Lager from our local California Brew Pub in Salinas and would absolutely recommend this meal to travelers and locals alike. 

Note: Chili’s has two locations in Monterey County – one in Salinas off Highway 101 and one in Seaside off Highway 1 by Embassy Suites. 

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

Purple Ice Plant Flowers Carpet Pacific Grove, California in May 2026 reposted by Ruth Paget

May is the time for purple ice plant flowers to carpet the coastline in Pacific Grove, California.  Purple ice plant flowers are native to South Africa and are drought resistant.

Visitors seeing this purple carpet for the first time write the most enthusiastic blog posts like the following one:

https://mustloveroses.com/monterey-magic-purple-carpet/

Happy Coastal Strolling!

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

Carmel Valley Garden Show - May 2 to May 3, 2026 - reposted by Ruth Paget

The Carmel Valley Garden Show will be held May 2 to May 3, 2026 in Carmel Valley.

Details about this event organized by the Carmel Valley Garden Club follow:

https://cvgc.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=324042&module_id=330643

For other family activities in Carmel Valley, see my blog about the Carmel Valley History Museum and Carmel Valley Park:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2025/09/dinosaur-bones-ohlone-reed-boats-wagon.html?m=1

Happy Garden Strolling!

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

Strata Recipe for Day-Old Bread reposted by Ruth Paget

I see from watching TikTok that most bakery bags on the Too Good to Go app arrive with lots of leftover bread with a few days to go.

Strata breakfast casserole uses day-old bread, custard, cheese and/or sausage as its ingredients.

A recipe for this pretty simple to make casserole follows:

https://www.iheartnaptime.net/strata/

Strata might make the two loaves of bread bags more appealing.

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

Asian American - Pacific Islander Fest is May 20, 2026 at Northridge Mall in Salinas, California reposted by Ruth Paget

The Asian American - Pacific Islander Festival is being held on May 20, 2026 at Northridge Mall in Salinas, California.

Details about this event follow on Northridge Mall’s online event calendar below:

https://www.shop-northridge-mall.com/events

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

Spring Carnival - May 1 to May 10, 2026 at Northridge Mall in Salinas, California reposted by Ruth Paget

The Salinas Spring Carnival will take place at Northridge Mall in Salinas, California from May 1 to May 10, 2026.

There will be rides, food, and good shopping of course!

Details about this event, ticket pricing, and parking follow on Northridge Mall’s online event calendar:

https://www.shop-northridge-mall.com/events

Happy Spring!

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

Gyros Lunch Kit at Costco to go with the Big Sur Marathon posted by Ruth Paget

It is probably no surprise that Costco sells gyro kits to go with the Big Sur Marathon.

I heated the gyros spit-roasted lamb. meat in a skillet for 15 minutes, which really lets the meal brown up and char a few pieces.  I microwaved the six thick gyro breads for 2 minutes.  Both were very hot doing this for our cool and drizzling rain lunch.

The kit comes with tzatziki sauce, chopped tomatoes and cucumber, chopped red onions, lettuce, and feta cheese.

The gyro kit cost around $18.  My family of three ate everything and wished this deli item were available more often!

Happy Shopping and Good Eating!

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

Vietnamese Coffee and Thai Iced Tea at Bagel Bakery Shout Out by Ruth Paget

 Bagel Bakery in Sand City, California now offers iced Vietnamese coffee and Thai iced tea to go with bagels. 

I ordered a Vietnamese coffee to go with a toasted jalapeño-cheddar bagel with cream cheese this morning for breakfast.  

The strong espresso in the coffee is tempered by condensed milk and Hal-and-half which tastes great iced. 

I sipped the coffee on a rainy outing to Pebble Beach that made the forest and ocean look like a Japanese painting.

The Vietnamese coffee is a good addition to the menu that can make rain in Monterey not seem so bad.

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

Luxurious Pride of Madeira Flowering Plants Dot Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Luxurious Pride of Madeira Flowering Plants Dot Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget 

A flowering plant that I have come to equate with comfortable living is the drought-resistant Pride of Madeira flowering plant whose home region is the Portuguese island of Madeira. You can see photogenic Pride of Madeira plants all around Pebble Beach, California, especially along 17 Mile Drive. 

The purple cone shaped flowers on this plant are about 6 to 8 inches long. The plant itself can grow upward and outward 6 to 8 feet in each direction. 

Pride of Madeira flowering plants have an important economic value in Monterey County California as plants liked by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. All three of these species pollinate agricultural crops and vineyards in Salinas and Monterey County. 

Bees create honey, which has anti-oxidants that rid the body of free radicals, which may cause cancer. Darker honey has more free radicals. 

Pride of Madeira plants also help attract Monarch butterflies to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Pacific Grove next to Pebble Beach. Docents at this sanctuary explain the difference between male and female butterflies and the Monarch butterfly life cycle among other facts. The Monarch butters typically migrate between October to March. 

There is a large and very photogenic Pride of Madeira plant by the post office in Pebble Beach (by the exit onto 17 Mile Drive exactly) for souvenir photos. 

To identify the Pride of Madeira flowering plant, I used the Google lens app. You photograph an object in this app and then ask what it is to bring up a list of characteristics. 

I have included a photo from plantmaster.com for sightseeing reference below: 

https://plantmaster.com/plants/eplant.php?plantnum=24372

Happy Garden Strolling! 

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

Summer Reading 2026 at Barnes & Noble reposted by Ruth Paget

Barnes & Noble has online materials to download for its 2026 summer reading program.

Details with printable materials follow:

https://dispatch.barnesandnoble.com/content/dam/ccr/bnstores/books/pdfs/2026/2026-Summer-Reading-BN-Journal-eng.pdf

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