Cranberry Chutney  (Parental participation required)
Chutneys are fruits or vegetables usually cooked with sugar, vinegar, and spices. They are condiments, which are traditionally served with Indian and Asian foods. Cranberry chutneys have grown in popularity in the United States for the holiday season. It is delicious served with roast turkey, curried turkey or chicken, or as […]

By Jerome Peterson
The month of December has arrived with some of us wondering what happened to the rest of the year, and this writer wondering what happened to the previous articles on the previous months. There are some earthlings, however, that realize that as we get older, the years seem to pass quicker. Time is […]

Lesley Cox, far right, organized the exciting beautification project.
Story and photo by Greg Kristapovich
A special unit of the flower force took control of part of the Black Oak Elementary campus on December 3rd, ending in beautiful results! In a major beautification effort: students, (and a few parents) joined together to plant a variety of flowers […]

 
The elegant “Buck of Brentwood.” Photo by Jerry Maxwell.
By Jerry Maxwell
In these days of rising grocery prices everyone knows it’s getting harder and harder to get a good cut of beef or salmon. The cost is somewhat like buying a brick of gold or silver at current market prices. A good filet mignon now costs […]

Terroir Terror
Although I have been content in my adult life drinking mostly tap water, camp coffee, and occasionally a cold draft beer, my new lady friend has encouraged me to explore new beverage possibilities.
“I joined a wine club in Calaveras County!” she said. “It’s a lot of fun! We can meet new people! We can […]