Hope Valley Cafe and Market

I have driven by Hope Valley Cafe and Market many times over the past 30 years. While tempting, my wife and I rarely stopped in.

The rustic building was often just a landmark on a trip the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada.

Debbie and I first stopped inside the cafe Saturday evening looking for the ATM machine. We had just set up camp at Kit Carson Campground on the other side of the highway. Out of checks, I needed cash to pay the campground fee.

Inside, we found a cross between an old High Sierra resort and a place one would love to call home. Hope Valley Cafe could easily become my coffee bar of choice on a daily commute through Hope Valley.

Joyce DeVore of the The Record-Courier best describes the eatery and market:

From the outside, the café looks like a small mom-and-pop convenience store and coffee shop. Stepping inside, one finds a creative dynamo with tousled black hair, proudly displaying cases of homemade pies and a counter laden with monster cookies and cakes. ("Hope Valley chef cooks her pies to order," October 2, 2009.)

The "creative dynamo" behind Hope Valley Cafe is Leesa Lopazanski, chef and shopkeeper. Frendly and willing to help, Leesa and her counter person pointed us to Woodfords Station when the ATM ran out of cash.

I didn't return to the cafe until late Monday morning when my granddaughter and I stopped in for milk shakes. The young lady behind the counter graciously created a chocolate milkshake off menu for us. The regular menu listed cookies and cream shakes, which would've been good.

My third visit came this morning. After making a 25-mile round trip to call my daughter on the cell phone, I didn't feel like cooking. And it gave me an excuse to stop in for breakfast.

After talking shop with Leesa for a few minutes, I have to say she was a pleasant hostess. From the breakfast menu I chose the 3 Egg Scram, "3 eggs, spinach, sundried tomato, meat & cheese -- all scrambled up w/ toast."

Leesa's 3 Egg Scram is reminiscent of Joe's scramble, a popular breakfast dish with ground beef, onions, mushrooms and spinach folded into three large scrambled eggs and topped with cheese.

Sometimes a simple photograph (above) can help you explorer the menu. Listed under the Scram is The Burrito. "Just like the Scram, all wrapped up in a tortilla w/ salsa & sour cream."

We need to return to the Hope Valley Cafe and Market before we leave for home on Saturday. I'll have to try The Burrito.

If you're in the South Lake Tahoe area as we are this week, you need to take the 30-minute drive out to Hope Valley and meet Leesa. She and her staff will make sure that you have a pleasant meal, full of flavor and goodness.

I promise to stop in next time I drive by.

Crown of old men

Children’s children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father.
--Proverbs 17:6

After raising three children, our daughters have blessed Debbie and me with three wonderful grandchildren.

Being away from them most of the time can be difficult at times. Since it's always a challenge to encourage them to visit us, we travel to the Bay Area to see the children every two months.

I look forward for the times when I can see them sitting in the pew, learning to workshop God with respect and honoring His name. It gives me a smile when I watch them them holding their hands together during prayer or singing in a loud voice, "Who will follow Jesus, who will make reply, 'I am on my Lord's side, Master here am I'?"

These are times that bring a tear to my eye ...

Grilled cheese for a birthday girl

I'm sitting in my mother-in-law's easy chair, listening to my son- and brother-in-law fix the screen door (the one that I walked through earlier), watching three grandchildren play on the floor. Both the birthday girl, who's one today, and last month's birthday boy are walking.

Life can't get much better!

In honor of Nevaeh's birthday, her mother and I prepared a quick dinner with grilled cheese sandwiches. The adults had grilled cheese with asparagus and roasted red peppers. Farm-fresh asparagus and roasted red peppers (either from a jar or freshly roasted) gave the adults a nice grown-up sandwich. I made grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches for the children.

GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES WITH ASPARAGUS AND ROASTED RED PEPPERS

I clipped this recipe from one of my food service trade journals several years ago. It makes enough for 12 sandwiches.

2 pounds asparagus
1 cup prepared balsamic-garlic-olive oil vinaigrette
12 ounces sliced fontina cheese
16 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
2 cups roasted red peppers
1 cup fresh basil leaves
24 slices sourdough bread, brushed with extra virgin olive oil

To prepare asparagus, gently cook in simmering water for two or three minutes. Then submerge asparagus in a waiting bowl of ice water. Remove, drain and toss with vinaigrette. Let stand covered and refrigerated at least two hours before using.

Lay 12 slices of bread on clean, flat surface. Top each slice with (in order):

2 slices fontina
3 marinated, drained spears asparagus
3-4 fresh basil leaves
2-1/2 tablespoons red pepper pieces
2 slices mozzarella

Top with second slice of bread. Cover and reserve. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and griddle sandwiches on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a sheet pan and warm in 350-degree F. oven 8 to 10 minutes or until heated through.

Cut each sandwich on the diagonal to serve. Serve any remaining marinated asparagus with the sandwiches.

Grandpa's mug

Grandpa's mug
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

Until my wife and I became a grandparents, I always had a hard time choosing a coffee mug at my in-law's house. It didn't feel right sipping freshly brewed coffee from a mug that labeled me as something I'm not.

It's much easier sporting a "Big Dogs Can Cook" mug than one that tells the world my children are having children. As such, I always selected my coffee mug very carefully. Each morning, I'd carefully work my way through each mug until I found one that sent the right message.

Then our oldest daughter blessed us with a granddaughter four years ago. I thought that would make the process much easier. It did for a few months. Then my mother-in-law purchased a bunch of great-grandparent mugs.

I can't win for loosing!

Grandma, Change my Diaper

Grandma, change my diaper. I can't stand it anymore! Grandma wasn't amused.

Fog of Childbirth

When I posted young David's name Friday, I had a feeling it would become his middle name. Something about my phone conversation with Stephanie told me the name would trade places. At the time she said they needed to choose between two names for his middle name.

When we arrived at the hospital yesterday afternoon, Steph and Ernesto informed us David would be his middle name. He is being named after his dad and paternal grandfather. To avoid confusion with three Ernesto's in the family, he's going by David.

Either way, he's a hansom boy. To me, he's the best looking in the bunch. Soon, we'll be singing be Father Abraham as he sits on my lap.

Oh, am I failing as a grandfather? I only took 39 pictures yesterday.

An Addition to the Karoly Clan

The wise preacher said many years ago: "Grandchildren are the crown of old men, And the glory of sons is their fathers" (Proverbs 17:6). So, it's with great joy that I announce that Debbie and I have moved into "old" man and womenhood for the second time in this life.

Let's celebrate with Stephanie and Ernesto as they build their house with the addition of David to their household. According to the words of King David, "Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth" (Psalm 127:3-4). This latest blessing came this afternoon at 1:47 p.m. in the form of a 7-pound, 11-ounce baby boy at 21 inches long.

Stephanie and Ernesto now have the blessed task of raising young David to seek the Lord. As a young husband and wife with two young children, they understand, "Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it" (Psalm 127:1a). So for the next 18 years (and beyond) they will be training Marina and David in the "way he should go" (Proverbs 22:6).

I'm confident that they will build their house like the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-29). As Marina often sings, "The rains came down and the floods came up, And the house on the rock stood firm." Stephanie and Ernesto are building their house on the firm rock of Jesus.

We look forward to the day when both Marina and David respond to the gospel call. Lord willing, we will be there to watch them come out of the waters to a new life.

Pozole for a Birthday Crowd

A 20-gallon stockpot of pozole was the centerpiece of my granddaughter's birthday party Saturday night. Her great-aunt Vella prepared the mildly-flavored pork and hominy stew on the back porch.

It's easier to make in large batches, said my son-in-law. His family often gathers around the large stockpot, which Vella heats over a one-burner Camp Chef stove, and enjoys the stew. Each cook in the family prepares the dish differently. Some use more heat while Vella make a mild version. Condiments are available to "kick it up."

POZOLE FOR A CROWD

20 pounds pork meat
4 (#10) cans El Pato brand tomato sauce
5 pasilla chilies, whole
Garlic, to taste
Salt to taste
7 (#10) cans El Mexicano brand hominy

When we talked, Vella mainly gave me the ingredient list for her large stockpot of Pozole. We didn't get around to discussing preparation.

She essentially tosses all but the hominy into the pot and covers it with cold water. Vella did say that she removes the pasilla chilies, purees them and adds the chilies back to the pot. And she emphasized that she uses very little garlic.

The hominy is added during the last hour of simmering. Make sure the meat of almost tender before adding the hominy. I'd be inclined to use chicken stock in place of water and add several bay leaves, dried oregano and maybe some dried ground cumin. But resist the temptation to overly season the soup. Let the condiments do their job.

Prepare bowls of shredded cabbage and iceberg lettuce, chopped yellow onions, sliced radishes, lime and lemon halves and chili oil for condiments. Although not served, chopped cilatro adds a distinctly peppy flavor. The beauty of this soup is that each person can flavor it as he wishes.

She prefers the El Pato and El Mexicano brands. Try MexiGrocer.com if you can't locate these items at your local market.

Cupcakes for a Soccer Girl

It's my three-year old granddaughter's turn to bring snacks for soccer practice this morning. We made a dozen and a half cupcakes out of a Duncan Hines cake mix. As a suprize for the girls, I mixed a little chocolate cake mix into the remaining white cake batter.

Papa and M mix chocolate into the remaining white cake batter. Lickin' the spoon was her primary job!

The girls are going to enjoy M's decorating job. Her aunt helped while mom and dad did last-minute shopping for tonight's party.

Quality control is an important aspect of cupcake baking! We now have 17 cakes for 11 soccer girls.