Monthly Archives: February 2009

Happy Blogversary To Me!

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Today is Mar Vista Mom’s 1-year Anniversary and I’m very excited to celebrate it — at least in a virtual way — with you, my readers! 

 

This blog started out as a personal journey and has turned into a community resource and sounding-board, and really, a way of life for me. Time flies when you’re having fun — hard to believe it’s been a year already! 
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.

Save The Date: Sunday, March 1st: Crafts For Sale At The Farmer’s Market

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The Mar Vista Arts and Crafts Collective will be setting up booths this Sunday at the Mar Vista Farmer’s Market, as they do each 1st Sunday of the month. 

Please come and see the beautiful, hand-made items by our own Mar Vistans!

 

The Farmer’s Market runs from 8:30 am to 2pm every Sunday.
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.

Sunday Feature: Mar Vista Farmer’s Market Wrap-Up

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Today’s recipe comes from Bill Waiste, of P.O.P. Candy Co. He’s quite the chef, apparently. Bill Waiste

Today’s he’s chosen bok choy, which is abundant at the market. 
Bok choy

He’s going to saute it in a little olive oil and sesame oil, with some garlic and onions, for just a really short time, then he adds some chicken stock, which wilts the bok choy. At the last minute, he adds some soy sauce, sweet hot sauce, and fish sauce, and tops it all off with some sesame seeds for garnish. Sounds dee-lish!
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.

Mar Vista Moms And Dads Are Not Going To Take It Anymore!

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We, the proud, the too few, the Public School Parents. We are sick and tired of getting no respect from the LAUSD facilities department. (Among others…) But let’s start with them!

 

We have raised money, painted murals, fixed-up teachers’ lounges, even offered to buy locks for cabinets that had had valuable equipment stolen from them — only to be told we were no better than vandals. And the crazy part is, I’m not making that up.

 

It’s just not right, and it’s gone on long enough. We’re organizing in order to have a stronger voice when we point out the CRAZY-MAKING behavior that goes on in the system.

 

So that great place where you found your long-lost college roomie, and where you learn 25 new things about all your friends — well, now you can use Facebook to connect with other parents of LAUSD who are just as mad as you are about how the system ISN’T working.

 

LAUSD Parents Furious About Facilities. Join the group — and pass it on. It’s not just for Mar Vista, it just started here. Tell your stories, the good (if there are any) and the bad. We’ll all learn something and commiserate. And then we’ll take action.
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.

Whole Foods’ Weekly Craft Market

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Our local Whole Foods store holds a craft market each Wednesday from 11 am – 3pm, and they’ve been doing it so far for about a year. Who knew? I visited for the first time — and it won’t be the last.Whole Foods crafts.JPG

There were about 12 vendors there yesterday, including an old friend, Carole Yu, 

Carole Yu and BAO.JPG

who takes antique kimonos and uses the fabric to make these fantastic bags. 

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Check out her website: Bao. 

 

Plus I met Marie Lewis, who makes these delicious kids’ clothes.

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Her website is Whimsy Ranch and let me tell you, if this Mar Vista Mom had girl children, they would be wearing tutus right now! 

 

The craft market is such a fun idea, so cool that Whole Foods is doing it — weekly, no less — and even on the extra 2nd or 3rd Thursdays and 2nd Saturdays. (Please check the website for details — I don’t want to be held responsible for wrong dates.)

 

But what’s even cooler is that from now until the end of March, they are donating 10% of the proceeds from the craft market to the Whole Planet Foundation.
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.

Lead Toy Exchange In Mar Vista This Weekend

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The office of the City Attorney is conducting a toy exchange and testing program this Saturday, February 21st, across the city of LA, and here in Mar Vista it’s conveniently located at Grand View Blvd. Elementary school. 

Grand View name signBring toys that you suspect may have high levels of lead and you can find out for sure. They’ll also be testing childrens costume jewelry, ceramic tea playsets, childrens backpacks and lunch boxes, childrens Halloween costumes and pajamas.

If a toy is found to contain high levels of lead, it may be exchanged for a $25 American Express gift card. Did I read that right??? Yes, I did. (Limit 2 gift card exchanges per household.) 

The event lasts from 12 pm until 4pm and they’d like you to RSVP, so here’s the link for that. Grand View school is located at 3951 Grand View Blvd., just south of Venice Blvd.
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.

Sunday Feature: Mar Vista Farmer’s Market Wrap-Up

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Rob Kadota is the Chair of the Mar Vista Community Council, and he’s a regular at the Farmer’s Market. Stop by the community booth, that’s where he hangs out, practically every Sunday.

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Today he was buying some beets. Half are for roasting and half are for pickling. He roasts them in a 350-degree oven, with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little balsamic vinegar, for about an hour, peels off the skin and serves them with chicken for dinner.
The beets in question.JPG
Rob didn’t get specific about the pickling recipe, but he says it involves vinegar, salt, sugar and celery seeds. I have heard pickling takes a lot of time. Personally, I don’t have the patience. I actually read a cheater’s recipe for pickles recently: buy a jar of pickles you like, eat the pickles, and use the leftover liquid to pickle something new. Right up my alley.Pickle jar 2

Sunday Feature: Mar Vista Farmer’s Market Wrap-Up (This Week On Monday)

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Sunday I had the pleasure of seeing the Mar Vista Farmer’s Market through Lorraine Wells’ eyes. I refer to Lorraine as the Market Maven. She helped to bring the market into being nearly 3 years ago, and she’s there every week. I’m pretty sure she knows every vendor by name.

She had a delicious menu planned: chicken for Sunday dinner and seafood for later in the week. We started at the seafood booth and she picked up some shrimp and scallops from Ali at Smart Fish. 
Lorraine
When she cooks them up, she’s going to use tangerines, limes and ginger. I made her promise to cook it for me someday!

 

She already had the chicken at home and she was planning to use Shawarma seasonings on it. On the side, she was making basmati rice, spinach and a lovely salad.

 

We headed off in search of the ingredients for her basmati rice side dish. She caramelizes these beautiful onions 

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from Gama farms and adds them to the rice, along with cilantro from Gloria’s Fruit and Vegetables. 

 

She sautes these shallots 
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in a little olive oil and then adds spinach from Gloria’s for a very delicious and iron-rich side dish.
Spinach @ Gloria's
She gets her red leaf lettuce from J.R. Organics, who are part of Community Supported Agriculture, which is a very cool program and you should check it out. And then she adds these awesome tomatoes
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to the salad for some color and deliciousness.

 

Not only am I inspired to cook these dishes myself, I’m thrilled I got to see the market with Lorraine.
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.

Mar Vista Farmer’s Market Wrap-Up: February 1st

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Today I got to catch up with Alison Copeland of Rocker Board Shop fame. The former Mar Vista brick-and-mortar shop is now online and going strong, although we really miss the store! Alison was at the market today selling items from her line of hand-stenciled t-shirts, hats and notecards, ReKon by AC. 

Alison Copeland
She’s there pretty much monthly, by the way, since on the first Sundays the Mar Vista Arts and Craft Collective part of the Open Mar Vista Group) has booth space down at the south end of the market. 

Anyway, Alison was also shopping for her supper, which was going to be a roasted chicken with these satsumas. Yum! 
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Plus she always keeps a stash of these organic avocados on hand for when she eats quesadillas. 
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(Must be all the surfing she does, because I don’t see any evidence of cheese on her body. I’m just saying.)
An original post by Sarah Auerswald.