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To live and enjoy every day to its fullest, use my gifts to help others, I travel to wherever passion finds me.

What Will She Paint?

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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

INCREDIBLE HEAT :)

Sunday we went to the gardens of the Huntington Library in Pasadena. 
Thought it was Fall, but I must be mistaken. When the weather forecast said that it was going to be in the nineties last weekend I was skeptical!  I figure they meant more inland.
We were completely wilted after two hours outside, even though there was plenty to photograph.Going back home the temps soared at one point to 106 F. We heard close by it became 113 F.
(I know this whole post must seem funny to you who are already having cooler weather)

Our solution to the heat was to go indoors for for an iced drink.

Another way I beat the heat is easy cooking with salads. I have a whole collection of salad recipes. One of my favorites is spaghetti salad.
I was introduced to it at an office party, and I was smitten!


Spaghetti Salad
 
Cook whole wheat spaghetti
drain and cool off and cut in 2 inch pieces


Add and mix the cut up veggies in a pretty salad bowl
1/2 red onion
one green bell pepper
cube 1-2  big cucumbers and 3 medium tomatoes

Mix with  a generous amount of Italian dressing and Salad Supreme (spices from a jar, see below)*  
Add the spaghetti and mix. Refridgerate till dinnertime. 
Bon appetite, Mahlzeit, Mange, Smakelijk eten!


Maybe you haven't thought of the following way to beat the heat, but it helps enormously!

Thoughtful Uncle brought all his nieces a parasol from China

The last two years I have seen Caucasians (in California) walking with parasols. No, it was not a costume party! In Shenzhen, China we tried it out ourselves, because everyone was walking there with a parasol, also the men. It makes a big difference! I would say about 20 degrees cooler!
Are westerners finally waking up to it that it is wiser to be exposed to the sun in moderation? We're probably not there yet, but there's a beginning!

How do you beat the heat? 

* Salad Supreme (McCormick sells this seasoning), but if you don't have it in your area, here are the following ingredients on the label:
Romano cheese, salt,sesame seed, poppy seed, celery seed, paprika,garlic black pepper and red pepper.



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13 comments:

Unknown said...

I would call that very hot!
But I know i did major hiking as a young adult in as bad or worse and enjoyed it.
Salads are the thing to eat in the spring and summer!

CorvusCorax12 said...

sounds yummy...need to try it out sometime

Annie Jeffries said...

I love the memory of my visits to the Huntington Library years ago. I must have gone there two or three times while attending UC Riverside back in the late 70's.

I enjoyed seeing the young girl under a parasol. So feminine and a great protection against sun damaged skin. I started using my pretty parasols this summer and people really seem to enjoy it.

NCmountainwoman said...

That salad is a favorite around here. Hardly a potluck comes around without spaghetti salad.

We've read about the awful heat there. And we hope it will moderate soon.

young-eclectic-encounters said...

Thanks for reminding me of the salad I haven't had it in a while but I love it. Up until this week actually the last couple of days we have also had temps int the 90's with heat index of 100+ so I can feel for you, but I am certainly enjoying our little cool off.
Johnina :^A

Jeannette StG said...

Joey,
Forever young, wouldn't that be great! Know what you mean, in younger years heat and cold didn't bother me as much. You probably have some unusual salads in your recipe box!

Gabi,
It's worth the try - and so easy:)

Annie,
Ah you lived in Riverside! What was your major?
The little girl is one of my grand daughters - the one who asked her uncle to come back from China for a visit! the parasols make a great finishing touch!

NCMountainwoman,
I had never heard about this spaghetti salad till that party!
I want to thank you for addressing some sticky issues on your blog - you are a voice, and you're using it:)

Johnina,
Am happy to tell you that today some clouds came rolling in, cooling everything down till the 80ties!

DawnTreader said...

We're well past that season here ;) - getting prepared for late autumn and winter is what's on our minds now! In the summer heat, however, I usually keep to salad lunches as well. I'm afraid no one here walks around with a parasol (I have sometimes wished it would become fashionable!) but I have a wide-brimmed hat...

Rosie said...

That does sound very hot indeed! Your salad recipe sounds good - I love psta salads so I'm sure to like this one. I love parasols so pretty and very practical:)

Irene said...

I learned to love pasta salads in California when my mother in law made her famous macaroni shrimp salad. It was to die for. I'd never eaten pasta salad in Holland. We only ate macaroni with ham. It's different now, of course, but back then we were so primitive.

Rudee said...

Not so major heat wave here: high 74 (but sunny). Come the weekend, lows in the burbs around Detroit are expected to go into the thirties. Frost is expected.

My feet are cold.

Your salad recipe looks yummy.

Diane AZ said...

Beautiful image of the young lady with the parasol. I've never used one, but it sounds like a great idea! And your spaghetti Salad recipe looks yummy!

crochet lady said...

Yikes and we had frost here in WI. A cool drink sounds good to beat the heat...but right now I can only think of hot drinks.

Jeannette StG said...

Monika,
You never know, parasols may become fashionable...a few years ago you couldn't see anyone here with a parasol in multi-ethnic Los Angeles!
I understand, when it's cold outside who would want to eat salad for dinner?

Rosie,
Read something today that they prevented a terrorist plot in the UK -always scary.
Yes, it's a great salad! I agree about the parasols!

Irene,
Same with me -I ate my first spaghetti in California, and with pizza it became our staple for the next few years (mainly cause I was studying:) )

Rudee,
74 sounds a happy medium of all temps! But it already gets that cold at night??
Luckily you know how to knit socks for your cold feet :)

Diana,
The young lady (Oh, would she like you for saying that!! -she's 10 years old:) ) is one of my grand daughters. The spaghetti salad is worth trying (especially if you don't want to cook meat!)

Jen,
Oh my, what a difference! Can't blame you for wanting a hot drink -I would want that too in your case:)