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