JourneyLeaf: Life a Page at a Time

Play Cafe

I think we may be the last family in the East Bay to check out Oakland's Play Cafe.  But we enjoyed it and will be sure to go again.  The eating area is set up to look like an outdoor cafe and is bordered by five indoor play rooms -- a "malt shop" kitchen, a costume and puppet room, a ball pit area, a babies-only room, and a train table area.  The menu is simple with primarily breakfast foods and sandwiches.  (Click HERE to see a list.)  Play Cafe closes at 7PM, but for our family's early schedule it still offers a dinner spot where Eli can run around if he's full of energy. 

 

 

 

East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse

Since he knew I like doing crafts with Eli, one of my parenting buddies told me about the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.  Oh, thank you, Maynard!

 The little store at 4695 Telegraph Aveue in Oakland is rather amazing.  It was started by two school teachers who wanted to create a place where people could donate leftover art/craft supplies and others could buy them inexpensively.  Thus here is the spot where you can get partial cans of paint, half-used bags of plaster, and fabric scraps but also things like remaindered office supplies, scrap paper, leftover party supplies, old magazines, etc., etc., etc.  Thought there was no place to buy emptied tea boxes, clean milk cartons, or toilet paper tubes?  Think again!  But the store also carries items you might find in an antique store from dishes to vases to lamps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Mama's Two Cents:
This is a fabulous place just to wander around on a rainy afternoon.  It is fun to find things you can use, but also fun to wonder where things came from and who the heck is going to use some of that stuff.  Some sections are fastidiously tidy while other areas look like a clan of rodents may soon take up residence there.  The latter makes for some rewarding poking around -- the thrill of discovery.  The Depot takes donations and is a non-profit organization that gives a lot of discounts and freebies to teachers, so clean out your craft box before you visit.  The aisles are a little crowded in spots, so keep that in mind if you bring a kiddo in a stroller.  Also, there are breakables and choking-size items placed down low throughout the store.  But the staff is friendly and welcoming, giving all the kids free stickers to help keep them busy.  And there is certainly a lot for kids to gawk at while you explore.

Berkeley Pedestrian Bridge -- Tot Vehicle Bliss

We explored the Berkeley Bike and Pedestrian Bridge over I-80 just south of University Avenue.  Such an easy adventure with a kiddo, but so rewarding!  Vehicles galore -- which add up to tot bliss.

We traveled along the pink line on the map below.  Our starting point was a parking lot at Eastshore Park near the Seabreeze Market and Deli (598 University Avenue).  If you park there, bring your boots!  It is unpaved and muddy, yet makes it very easy to get to the bridge.  

 

The bridge has a raised sidewalk for walkers and a two-lane track for bicycles.  It was really nice that we didn't have to worry about the bikes occasionally whizzing past.  

 

If you live in or around Berkeley, you've driven under this bridge a thousand times.  I knew there were sculptures at either end, but could never catch the details.  Here is the west sculpture (closest to the bay).  There is a dog leaping to grab a flying disc, birdwatchers, and kite flyers.

 

 

 

 

Ahhh.  Here's the real draw.  All the cars and trucks you'd care to gawk at.

 

Here's the sculpture on the eastern side (closest to Berkeley).  From what I can tell, there are a couple of protesters, a man in a wheelchair, a reader, and a violinist.  (Somebody draped fabric signs over the empty squares of the protester's signs.)  There is a model of the Cal campus Campanile as well.  (Note:  It turns out that this sculpture is called "Berkeley Big People," cost $196,000, and does indeed immortalize the city's many protests over the years.  Click HERE for an article from the San Francisco Chronicle.)

 

 

 

Once we reached the other side, we had a nice view of the Aquatic Park lake and the boathouse.

 

We skirted the water on the paved walking path and exited Aquatic Park to walk up Addison Street.  One block up, we took a left on 4th Street to reach the Berkeley Amtrak station, which is also a busy bus stop -- more vehicles! 

 

While waiting for trains, there are yet more vehicles to enjoy.  The Truitt & White building supply company is across the tracks, so Eli spent blissful minutes watching the forklifts zip around.

 

The Berkeley Amtrack station is unmanned, but it is busy enough that there are other folks around.  In fact, we noticed a lot of folks streaming into the doors of Brennan's restaurant next door.  Hmmm.  It was lunch time.

Brennan's is an Irish pub, but it also offers sandwiches and carved meats with hot side dishes and fresh salads.  Eli and I got cheese sandwiches and settled down to wait for the next train listed on Amtrak's schedule board.

 

 

Besides the regularly scheduled (and posted) Amtrak trains, there are various other trains to enjoy.

 

Heading home for nap time, and enjoying a few more trains, buses, and cars along the way.

 

And running a hand along the fence...

One Mama's Two Cents:
This was a very fun jaunt and we'll be sure to do it again.  I felt safe being there in the middle of the day, yet the area is somewhat industrial, so I made sure I paid attention to who was around us at all times and kept my cell phone handy. 

Winter Marshmallows

Bobbing in hot chocolate, turning toasty at the end of a stick, or smooshing between graham cracker and chocolate square -- what's not to love about marshmallows?  They call to mind family camping trips and mugs of cocoa with friends in front of the fire.  We even served s'mores at the casual evening after-party for our November wedding.  

Then one chilly autumn day I picked up a bag of handmade peppermint marshmallows at a local gourmet ice cream and candy shop named Ici.  I was in love.  Their marshmallows don't have the stiffling sweetness of their jetpuffed, perfect-clone counterparts.  The hand-cut cubes come in sophisticated flavors like passionfruit, vanilla bean, and gingerbread.  Oh.  And handmade marshmallows don't have that chalky, squeaky feel outside.  Instead, there is a soft, slight crunch from the marshmallow's outer crust.  I know of no other confection that offers that texture, especially when paired with the pillow of the marshmallow's interior. 

What in the heck am I going to do when I move back to Georgia, away from my handmade marshmallow source?!  It was time to learn to make marshmallows myself.  I went to the web and read a bunch of recipes.  Then I took a deep breath and just did it.  

Making homemade marshmallows, it turns out, is a little like being ringmaster for a three ring circus.  You're soaking gelatine, boiling sugar, and whipping egg whites at the same time.  I didn't get any photos of the process because I was too busy making sure nothing scorched or exploded.  I worked in the evening because I didn't want Eli anywhere near molten sugar.  Thus I finished my marshmallows just before bed and poured the opaque white goop into a glass dish to set overnight.  In the morning I felt like dancing a jig.  I'd made peppermint marshmallows!  Turning them out of the pan was great fun.  I had one huge 2 x 9 x 14 -inch marshmallow!  Soon I set about cutting that into strips, which is how the French sell their marshmallows.  

I kept cutting.  Part of my reason for wanting to make my own marshmallows is that I adore the crust so much that I want to get more surface area, increasing the crust-to-squish ratio.  Uh huh!

 

After cutting, the marshmallows have to be rolled in a powdered sugar and corn starch mixture.  Little Guy turned out to be an expert marshmallow roller.  He was charmed by this food that could be squeezed yet popped back into shape.  Gotta love a confectionary assistant who giggles while he works!

 

 

How did the marshmallows taste?  Divine.  I'm no longer plotting ways to get the owner of Ici to move to Georgia. 

Now to share my satisfaction.  I made the marshmallows in time for a family gathering.  Since some of my family doesn't eat gluten, the marshmallows were a suitable treat and their snowy qualities make them an excellent winter choice.  Hmmm.  So what would be the perfect way to serve them for a festive gathering?  I found the answer on Pinterest, an idea taken from the Tutto Bella food blog and originating with Chef Hosea Rosenberg.  Arrange peppermints on a cookie sheet atop a layer of parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.   

 

The mints fuse together to form an edible serving tray!  I overbaked mine a little so it bubbled and got too thin, but it definitely works.

 

Okay.  Here's the sad part of the story.  The recipe said to store the marshmallows uncovered for a time, but it didn't say how long.  Once I cut my marshmallows, I put them in a glass pan that I sealed with a plastic lid.  The next time I opened the pan, I was utterly disappointed.  My marshmallows not only absorbed the powder we rolled them in, but they also turned slimy.  Aaaaack!  Where did my perfect-yet-subtle crust go?!  And...sigh...company doesn't exactly line up to eat peppermint flavored slug cubes.

 

After air-drying and re-rolling, my marshmallows were nice again, but it was too late to share their perfection with our company who had long since gone home.  I learned my lesson.  Next time I will definitely just cover my pan of marshmallows with a breathable tea towel for at least 24 hours.  

Notice that I said "next time"?  Oh, yes.  I think homemade peppermint marshmallows have joined the ranks of traditional winter foods in our household.  Maybe a big batch at Thanksgiving to pop in the freezer, giving us great cocoa all the way through January.  And if we run out in February, we can make a Valentine pink batch.

Want to try?  This past December, National Public Radio had an interesting article along with a simple recipe for homemade marshmallows.  Click HERE to get the how-tos from cookbook author Jennifer Reese. 

January Blue and White

When the Christmas decorations come down at the beginning of January, the house looks a little bare.  Many years ago I started putting up a few decorations with a winter motif on New Year's Day -- snowflakes, snowmen, mittens, etc.  I use the colors white and blue to symbolize snow/frost/icicles and those rare but perfectly clear January skies.  I love to prowl Christmas clearance, over the years gathering a little collection of things that are reminders of the best of winter.

 This year I hung my glittery snowflakes from the grapevine wreath above our fireplace.  The narrow brick mantel, our tokonoma area, has little snowman figures, snowflake ornaments, and photos of Eli playing in the snow.  In years past, I've gone for an elegant look using the snowflakes and a few bare tree branches in a blue vase.  But this year Eli helped me make a blue snowflake garland and a few other touches.  I love the "Designed by Kiddo" look.

 

 

The snowmen were a little "last holiday," so I found some fleece fabric in blue and white to fashion new accessories for them.  Snowman makeover!

 

 

The focal point of our January tokonoma is a small collection of candles.  One of my favorite children's books when I was growing up talked about making snow lanterns.*  The book, however, was set in Finland.  Not much snow along the Northern California coast.  So we made snowflake lanterns instead.  My mother-in-law selected pretty blue snowflake tissue paper to tuck in with our Christmas gifts this year.  I squirreled it away to use in January.  

Step One:  Tear tissue paper into small pieces or strips.  

Step Two:  Water down a small amount of Elmer's white glue -- two tablespoons of glue and one of warm water.

Step Three:  With a paintbrush, apply glue to glass votive holders.  We found ours at the dollar store and selected thick-walled ones including a candy jar.  Thick glass is less likely to break if tipped over by an excited tot.

 

Step Four:  Apply the pieces of tissue paper however you'd like.  If there is enough glue underneath, you can gently drag the paper in place with your thumb.  Overlapping your pieces is good, giving the finished lantern more blended shades of blue and frost-like lines.  You can even crumple the paper and smooth it out again for a crinkle effect.  If you're lucky enough to have snowflake tissue paper, the effect is like a snowstorm of overlapping flakes.  (Local friends, we have plenty leftover, so let me know if you'd like some.)  Then paint more glue over the top to smooth down the tissue paper.

 

 

Step Five:  (Grown-up task)  Use a cutting blade to tidy up any ragged edges of paper hanging over the rim of the glass.  

 

Done!  The glue dries quickly, so within minutes you can pop in a tealight or votive candle to enjoy your new lantern.  (Make a handle with wire or ribbon if you want to carry or hang it.)  If you're really lucky, you might find a peppermint candle (or some mint essential oil) to place inside, turning the air in the house winter fresh. 

 

*Just for fun, get your hands on a copy of Tove Jansson's Moominland Midwinter.  This little chapter book is wise far beyond its years.  Even as an adult, I love to reread it almost every winter.

Silent Saturday -- January 21, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earthbound Farms, Carmel

Lunchtime in Carmel?  The farm stand at Earthbound Farms is a nice little place to stop -- especially if you're traveling with kids.  They have organic produce for sale as well as upscale organic deli, bakery, and confectionary items.  Thus you can picnic at one of the tables on the grounds, satisfying your inner foodie while the kids burn off some energy.

 

Cabbage and greens...

 

Crab apples...

 

Chard...

 

Winter squash...

 

Artichokes...

 

 

The labyrinth...

 

The organic herb garden where you can snip all you want...

 

Eli was fascinated by the mosaics in the kids' garden...

 

Mmm.  And the fresh bakery bread!

 

Monarch Winter Sanctuary

Remember when you were a kid and you'd get captivated by a photograph, a bit of knowledge, a new idea?  One summer my brother's National Geographic World magazine had an article about monarch butterflies gathering in Mexico for the winter.  I was amazed by the photos of butterflies by the thousands.  I tried to imagine how it would feel to stand there among them.

Then recently a friend posted on her blog about visiting wintering butterflies in...California?!  Yup.  I soon learned there is a continental divide for butterflies!  Monarchs east of the Rockies fly to Mexico for the winter, but those west of the mountains go to spots in Southern California.  A few of these spots are within easy driving distance of where we live.  This weekend we visited the Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove near Monterey, a site that welcomes over 25,000 butterflies each winter.  The butterflies may travel almost 2,000 miles to reach their winter safety, flying up to 200 miles a day and at altitudes up to 10,000 feet.* 

 

I pictured walking into a forest full of fluttering orange, but the butterflies are mostly resting during the winter -- especially on cold days like the one for our visit.  They were clumped in the trees about 15 to 30 feet up.  Because their wings were closed, hiding the bright orange of their inner wings, they looked almost like dead leaves, fish scales, or even fungal growths.  Some smart folks brought binoculars.  My telephoto camera lens helped me out some, especially since I brought my tripod to hold it still.

 

Here's a crop from the photo above so you can see better... 

 

Sunlight fell on some of the clusters of butterflies, and these warmer groups were more lively.  Here and there butterflies flexed their wings or made short flights from branch to branch. 

 

A crop of the above photo...

 

There were a few stray butterflies on lower branches, which was helpful.  Eli is inexperienced enough that I'm not sure he really saw or understood the still, folded butterflies so high above him.  He loved looking at some close up, though. 

 

 

The sanctuary has a short nature trail dotted with places where you can sit back to enjoy the sounds and smells of the ocean breezes blowing through the eucalyptus trees. 

 

We went to the library before our trip and carried Angela Royston's Life Cycle of a Butterfly with us.  (Chicago:  Heinemann Raintree, 2009.)   Click HERE for Surlalune Storytime resources on butterflies -- books, songs, puppets, and more.

Thanks to Tiffany for sharing about the butterflies on her blog.   Even more, my thanks goes to Tiffany and her father for serving as volunteers for the sanctuary when it was just beginning.  They went door to door to gain support for preserving the butterflies' wintering grounds as development encroached.  Sometimes just a handful of people really can make a difference.  (Click HERE for the Monarch Grove Sanctuary website.)

(*The facts I found came from the Royston book and the Sanctuary website.  The numbers varied slightly between these two sources.)

Bixby Creek Bridge

Drive south down scenic California Highway 1 from Carmel...

 

 

 

After a dozen miles of gorgeous rocky beaches, you'll come to the famous Bixby Creek Bridge...