Author Archives: RSCA

From Lynn’s Kitchen

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MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH

One of my dear friends usually hosts a Women’s Tea for our group of girlfriends every May, in honor of Mother’s Day. Many of our Mom’s are no longer with us, or are geographically distant and so we do not have the opportunity to be with them on their Special Day. Since she lives in a large flat in San Francisco, the weather in May is typically misty and/or foggy, so a large roaring fire is always ablaze in their living room. Furniture has been rearranged for several cozy sitting and dining areas, with small tables dressed in beautiful vintage tablecloths and napkins, china tea cups (of course), luncheon plates, and family heirloom silverware. Upon arriving, guests are greeted with a chilled glass of champagne punch, lightly flavored with fresh verbena leaves. It’s always a surprise to discover what new and delicious tea sandwiches she has made, or what fruits and pastries will be served for dessert.

Several of us were just down in Palm Springs for our annual trek to the desert for sunshine and relaxation, and we decided to make a dessert that we had wanted to try for several years. I remember seeing the special little coeur a la crème white porcelain molds at Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table many times, but never took the time to purchase them. Well, we didn’t have the proper molds, but that did not stop us from whipping up one of the loveliest desserts of all time. It would be perfect for a spectacular finish to a Mother’s Day Brunch! It’s very easy to make – just needs to sit overnight – and is luscious served with this Red Raspberry & Grand Marnier Sauce! Try it – you will not be disappointed!

 

Coeur a la Crème with Raspberry & Grand Marnier Sauce

  • 12 ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 ¼ Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
  • 2 ½ Cups Cold Heavy Cream
  • 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ¼ teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
  • Seeds scraped from 1 Vanilla Bean
  • Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce (recipe follows)
  • 2 Half Pints Red Raspberries

Place the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7 inch sieve with cheesecloth so the ends drape over the sides and suspend it over a bowl, making certain that there is space between the bottom of the sieve and bottom of the bowl so that the liquid can drain from the cheese/cream mixture. Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, and refrigerate overnight.

 

Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce

  • 1 Half-Pint Fresh Red Raspberries
  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Cold Water
  • 1 Cup Seedless Red Raspberry Jam
  • 2 Tablespoons Orange-Flavored Liqueur (Grand Marnier is recommended although we used Cointreau in Palm Springs)

Place raspberries, sugar, and ¼ Cup Water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and orange liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blades and process until smooth. Chill. (You can make this the evening before serving.)

To serve, discard any liquid that has collected in the bowl with the sieve on top. Unmold the cream onto a decorative plate, and drizzle Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce around the base. Serve with fresh red raspberries and extra sauce. Enjoy!

— Lynn Kathleen Adams
— RSCA Board Member since 1994

Softening The Glare of the Summer Sun

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Do the windows in your home allow so much sunlight into the interior that some of the rooms have an unpleasant glare? Are there high decorative windows and skylights that allow the sunlight to directly hit your flooring and furnishings? Ultra-violet (UV) rays can cause color changes in art, fabrics, paint and wood in just three months. Fix the problem now before the damage occurs. Luminette® and Silhouette® window shades from Hunter Douglas will preserve the view while blocking 99% of the UV rays. Another alternative is to apply tinted window film to the problem windows for about $13 per square foot. Window film can also be applied on a custom made window (stained glass) to prevent the glass from shattering in case of an earthquake. I often recommend window film on the sidelights of a front door as physical deterrent to burglary.

Consider upgrading from mini-blinds and cheap vertical blinds. These blinds are installed in many new homes, but after five years the vanes bend, the cords break, and they become a nuisance to clean. Dangling drapery and shade cords become a dangerous attraction to children and pets. Investing in shades or shutters with lifetime warranties are a smart option. If your house includes children or pets you should consider the many shades available with cordless adjustments or with wireless remote controls. How wonderful it is to punch a button and have a whole wall of shades raise or lower! If you have tall windows or an unsightly view, installing top down bottom up shades will allow the light to come in the top of the window and still provide privacy to the occupants of the room. Vignette® fabric Roman shades roll up into a 4” head rail to completely clear the glass and create an updated look for sliders and large windows.

 

— Jean Cary, Jean Cary Interiors

To find the solutions to your home dilemmas, give Jean a call: of (650) 593-9622

Situations Requiring a Veterinarian’s Care

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Last month I wrote about emergency situations requiring a veterinarians’ care. This month I want to give you the reminder of Shock — this is a life threatening emergency. Shock can be due to injury, infection, poisoning and trauma. Cats are particularly susceptible to shock.

  • Respiratory distress – this could be caused by choking on an object, asthma, or other conditions.
  • Inability to walk – This can be due to a spinal or neurological problem.
  • Bloat – If you suspect bloat run don’t walk to your vets (or to the nearest emergency vet)! If your pet is at a high risk for bloat, talk to your vet before there is a problem and learn what actions you can take.
  • Unconscious – Even if your animal regains consciousness, they still need to be seen by your vet.

If your animal experiences any of the conditions listed, you need to get them to the vet immediately.

However, I want to reiterate what I said in last month’s column. Just because your fur kid may not be exhibiting one of the symptoms above (or one of the symptoms listed in last month’s column) does not mean you should ignore any other signs or symptoms you notice. If you feel something just doesn’t seem right with Fido or Fluffy, you need to take them to the vet. Listen to that nagging little (or big!) voice in your head and make that appointment with your vet.


–Jan Brown

Jan is the Owner of Jan’s Pet Sitting and is a Pet Tech Pet First Aid Instructor.

Defining Osteoarthritis

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Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of arthritis that primarily affects the cartilage on the end of bones. This cartilage is needed so that adjacent bones can move freely over a slippery tissue, and the cartilage functions like a “buffer” between the bones. For joints where the cartilage has worn down or degenerated, the adjacent bones are now touching and grinding on each other. Yes, OUCH!

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis among the hundreds of different types that exist. It is also known as Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), and it is most common in women over the age of 55. Unfortunately, there is no known cause to OA but it is usually the result of natural aging of a joint. Obesity, repeated trauma, or conditions like gout can aggravate joints and cause secondary OA. People with OA generally describe their symptoms as joint pain at the end of the day, swelling or creaking to a joint, or even stiffness or decreased range of motion in a joint.

Although there are no specific ways to completely stop cartilage degeneration, there are ways to slow down the process. A precise joint adjustment is one of the best ways to keep the tissues in a joint space healthy from cartilage degeneration. Doctors of Chiropractic are highly trained to treat OA through chiropractic manipulation, soft tissue therapy, and other physiotherapies- such as mechanical traction, all of which are ways to slow down OA and relieve joint pain and inflammation. Diagnostic x-rays can also help determine the severity of the arthritis.

People with OA are recommended to keep the joints mobile and to perform exercises with minimal impact to the joints, such as swimming, light walking, or stationary cycling. Whether you think you have OA, have been living with it for many years, or just want to prevent it, your chiropractor can help diagnose the level of degeneration and put a treatment and exercise plan together suited to your body.

 

— Dr. Jenny Kim, D.C.

Dr Kim practices at Premier Chiropractic Clinic in Redwood Shores. This reprint is part of a bimonthly Health newsletter program. If you would like to be included in future Health newsletters, log onto www.PremierChiropractic.com and sign up with your email address to receive our monthly newsletters by email.

Information provided courtesy of American Chiropractic Association (ACA) www.acatoday.org

From the The Palo Alto Medical Foundation — Is Veganism for You?

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What do former President Bill Clinton, Ozzy Osbourne and Ellen de Generes have in common? They’re all vegan. Let’s take a look at this diet and lifestyle, which is becoming more popular.

For many reasons, some people choose to eliminate all animal products and adopt what’s known as a vegan diet. In 2008, a survey for the Vegetarian Resource Group reported that .5 percent of Americans, or 1 million people, called themselves vegans. The recent documentary, “Forks Over Knives,” has brought new popularity to the vegan diet.

What is veganism? It’s strictly defined as the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products in any form. This includes eliminating all animal products from the diet. For strict vegans, who adhere to veganism as a philosophy of treating all living beings ethically, this also means not wearing clothing or shoes made of animal products, including leather, wool and silk.

What food can you eat in a vegan diet? Most vegetable dishes are vegan, or can easily made to be so. Plant-based proteins include beans and legumes, tofu and other soy products, and nuts. There are now widely available non-dairy milk substitutes made of soy, almonds and coconut. Soy and nut yogurt and cheese substitutes are also available.

What foods are prohibited in a vegan diet? Strict vegans eliminate any food containing meat, seafood, eggs or dairy products (milk, yogurt and butter). They may also avoid honey and gelatin.

What are the benefits of the vegan diet? Nutrition research has provided robust evidence that a diet composed mainly of vegetables, fruits and whole grains has great health benefits. Or as Michael Pollan put it, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” A large nutrition study known as the China Study proposes that most chronic diseases affecting adults (obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer) can be prevented or reversed by following a vegan diet.

Is there any harm in following a vegan diet? A carefully planned vegan diet can be very healthful, but there are a few micronutrients that aren’t easily obtained from plant sources of food. These include vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and possibly iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. The first two of these will usually need to be taken in vitamin form, but the others can be found in a carefully planned plant-based diet. So long as a diet includes a variety of nuts, soy products and legumes, getting enough protein is usually not an issue.

Helpful resources and websites:

www.TheChinaStudy.com

Forks Over Knives (documentary and book based upon The China Study)

www.VeganHealth.org (nutrition information written by a vegan registered dietician)

www.ivu.org/recipes (more than 3,000 vegan recipes from around the world)

 

— Linda Shiue, M.D.

Dr. Linda Shiue is an internal medicine physician at the Redwood Shores Health Center of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation.

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.

Wine Appreciation

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It was a year to remember. President Gerald Ford lost his re-election bid to Jimmy Carter. Sylvester Stallone flexed his “pecs” as Rocky received the Academy award for Best Picture. Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley were TV’s most popular shows. And two “Steve’s” started an offbeat computer company named “Apple,” while a couple other nerds created one called “Microsoft.” It was 1976, the year of our Bicentennial celebration. It was also, as someone said, the year that “a vinous shot was heard around the world.” Actually, it was more like a few swirls/sniffs/spats, the outcome of which was widely publicized by an attending American magazine correspondent. It had to do with a theretofore unique wine tasting competition that has since been immortalized as The 1976 Paris Tasting.

Steven Spurrier, an Englishman who owned a retail wine shop and well known wine school that taught wine evaluation skills to French food and wine professionals as well as neophyte tourists, conceived and promoted a competitive tasting which pitted California Chardonnays and Cabernets against their crème de la crème counterparts from Bordeaux and Burgundy. It’s important to note that in the 70‘s, when it came to world class wine, there was French, and there was . . . well . . . there was French. Nothing else was considered close in quality. Even though California wines were made from the same classic varietals, and vinified with similar techniques, they never received the same respect. But Spurrier, who had previously visited several Napa Valley wineries, was impressed with the quality of their wines and felt that they could make a respectable showing in a competitive tasting.

He assembled a tasting panel that included nine eminently qualified, French wine-savvy professionals: one renowned sommelier, two owners of Michelin three star restaurants, two wine scientists, two wine journalists, and owners from each of two prestigious Bordeaux and Burgundy wine properties. All of them had experienced professionally trained palates. The wines were tasted “blind,” that is, they were brown-bagged so as to not be identifiable. Under the attentive eyes of journalists and other spectators, each wine was evaluated on a twenty point scale for color, bouquet, flavor, and balance. Much has been written how the judges disdainfully mocked some wines they thought were Californian, and how they praised others they thought were French. However, when the results were tallied and the wines were unbagged, all the attendees were stunned by the unimaginable: the Cabernet winner was a 1973 Stags Leap Wine Cellars, and the Chardonnay victor was a 1973 Chateau Montelena! Voila !

This stunning achievement for those California wines has since been immortalized at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History with a detailed display, and one bottle of each has been placed in the permanent archives. But the most important unintended consequence of that tasting is that it initiated a quality-driven competition that continues unabated to this day, and that elusive quest for perfection is producing wines that have never been better.


– Tom Barras

www.TomBarrasWineCommentary.blogspot.com/

President’s Memo: May 2012

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Why Advertise in The PILOT ?

  1. The PILOT is the only magazine delivered to all 5,400 residential households in Redwood Shores (by USPS mail), total population of ~15,000 (includes ZIP Code 94065 plus the Belmont Shores neighborhood).
  2. The PILOT has been published monthly for over 40 years.
  3. As the only publication dedicated to the Shores community and its unique issues, The PILOT is a very “high-interest” publication for Shores residents.
  4. The Shores is a geographically distinct “island” community, surrounded on three sides by water and Hwy.101 on the fourth.
  5. The Shores is a high net-income community, with an estimated average household income of over $120,000. (2010 Census data is not yet available; 2000 census data showed average household income between $105,000–$120,000.)
  6. Demography of the Shores by Age:
    • a. Under 18: ~4,700
    • b. 18 – 34: ~2,000
    • c. 35 – 49: ~3,800
    • d. 50 – 64: ~2,600
    • e. 65 & over: ~1,600
  7. Demography of the Shores by Housing:
    • a. Total Residential Units: ~5,400
    • b. Owner occupied: ~3,900
    • c. Renter occupied: ~1,500
    • (930 apartments in 5 complexes, 500+ single-family units)
  8. The PILOT also goes to most of the 700 Businesses in the Shores, ranging from some of the largest on the Peninsula (Oracle & Electronic Arts) to many small retail shops & business offices.
  9. San Carlos, Belmont, Foster City, San Mateo, and downtown Redwood City business districts are all within 3-5 miles of the Redwood Shores community.

The PILOT connects you with every one of our residential households in Redwood Shores.

The PILOT is a great choice – is THE choice – if you want to reach every potential customers in the Shores community.

 

Shores History Now at the Library

For our 40th Anniversary Celebration back in 2010, RSCA put together a “history” of Redwood Shores in many pictures and newspaper articles dating back to the 1960s.

That history will again be on display for the next few months at the Redwood Shores Library. If you missed it in 2010, you should take some time to visit the library and browse through the history of our special community.

Originally “unwanted and unloved”, the Shores is now one of the brightest & best places to live and work on the Peninsula! See how it happened and the work that went into transforming this wonderful community we call home.

 

“No Feeding” Signs Going Up

On a separate page of this month’s PILOT you will find a draft of the City’s new “no feeding” signs that will be going up in our parks and public areas. Shortly after that you should start seeing similar signs on many private properties around the Shores.

Just a reminder that under California law, feeding wildlife is a punishable offense without regard to whether you are on public or private property.

And feeding by humans can cause unintended harm to ANY of our local or migratory waterfowl or wildlife. Feeding by humans can lead to under-nourishment by replacing the natural diet and lead to the spread of disease among the very animals you think you are “helping”. Feeding by humans can change natural behavior and migratory patterns and lead to local overcrowding. Feeding by humans can lead to more aggressive behavior toward adults AND children.

PLEASE… let’s do our part to keep wildlife wild!

 

HELP (always) WANTED !

RSCA is entirely a volunteer organization. The list of things that we “could” be doing – things we would like to be doing – continues to grow.

If you have a specific interest in something in the Shores that YOU would like to see improved, and you have 1-2 hours a week to work with RSCA, let’s talk about how we might work together. RSCA can provide support and a platform for action that you might not have as a single individual. You’ll also meet a lot of nice people who share your interest in keep the Shores a GREAT place to live and raise a family.

 

Join Our Email List

With over 5,400 residents and 700 business in the Shores, we use our email list to keep you informed about our community events during the year. If you would like to be on our email list, simply click on the “Join Our Email List” button in the Feedback section of RSCA.org to sign up.

Our Privacy Policy:

Your information is for use only by Redwood Shores Community Association in contacting you. We do not share, sell, or provide our contact list to any other person or organization.

— Harris Rogers, RSCA President

Redwood City Police Chief Hosting “Town Hall” Meetings Throughout Spring/Summer

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Redwood City Police Chief JR Gamez will be hosting a series of four Town Hall-style community meetings in the coming months, starting on May 1st, 2012. Each Town Hall meeting will be held in a different area of the City, in order to provide the opportunity for people to participate along with others from their own neighborhoods, and to discuss issues which may be of importance to that specific area.

“I’m eager to meet and talk with a lot of Redwood City residents during our Town Hall meetings,” said Chief Gamez, who started the job here in December of last year. “These gatherings are an important way for residents and police to create partnerships, to learn from one another, and to build trusting, cooperative relationships that are the very foundation of a strong, safe community. We can only do this if we talk to each other, and that’s what these Town Hall meetings are all about.”

The meetings offer a way for people to meet the Chief and his command staff, to create connections between the community and the Police Department, exchange information, and engage in small-group discussions around neighborhood issues. From these Town Hall meetings, the Chief and his staff will also gain the community’s perspectives and concerns on law enforcement and related issues for each area.

Each meeting will be facilitated by the collaborative group Redwood City 2020, working with Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center. Community members are invited and encouraged to attend and participate in the Police Chief’s Town Hall meeting for their areas:

 

* May 1, 2012, 7 – 8:30 pm

Palm Park, Redwood Oaks, and Roosevelt Neighborhood Areas

Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Avenue

 

* June 5, 2012, 7 – 8:30 pm

Centennial, Stambaugh-Heller, Friendly Acres, and Redwood Village Neighborhood Areas

Boys and Girls Club, 1109 Hilton Street

 

* July 10, 2012, 7 – 8:30 pm

Woodside Plaza, Oak Knoll/Edgewood Park, and Farm Hill Neighborhood Associations

Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Avenue

 

* October 9, 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Redwood Shores Community Association Area

Redwood Shores Branch Library, 399 Marine Parkway

 

Anyone who is not sure which neighborhood area they live in can easily find out by visiting www.redwoodcity.org/neighborhoodassociations or by calling 780-7300.

The Redwood City Police Department’s website is at www.redwoodcity.org/police , where residents can learn about the Department, get burglary prevention tips, sign up for alerts and newsletters, report a minor crime online, get police reports, view Redwood City’s crime map online, and more. Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s newsletters and other City documents at www.redwoodcity.org/egov .

Carlmont Students Standout in Robotics Championship

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Congratulations to the local robotics team “The Metal That Moves™” who were finalists at the Northern California First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Championship on March 4th.

All five team members are freshman at Carlmont High School. James George, Patrick Hsu, James Pak and Everett Yee are from Redwood Shores, and Adam Cobb is from Belmont.

During the season the team participated in three regional tournaments and advanced to the Northern California Championship. In addition to advancing to the final round of the championship against 31 of the top teams, winning the Finalist Award, they also won the “Rockwell Collins Innovate Award.” In the exciting final, the boys forced a decisive third game before being defeated by the FTC team “Boss Bots” from Moraga who advanced to the FTC World Championship in St. Louis.

Designed for high school students, First Tech Challenge (FTC) is part of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) family of robotics competitions that begin with children as young as age six. While it is a relatively new program (started in 2007), FTC has grown quickly and during the 2011/2012 season there were 2,100 teams with 21,000 students competing at more than 100 tournaments. FTC offers the opportunity for students to design, build and program robots, apply real-world math and science concepts, develop problem solving, organizational and team-building skills, and compete and cooperate at the same time.

Each year brings with it a new and unique challenge. This season’s challenge was to design and build a robot robust enough to push a bowling ball uphill, yet articulate enough to pick up racquetballs and place them into crates and then stack or elevate those crates. The team’s robot incorporated a unique scissor lift that enabled it to score many points and for part of the season, held the northern California record for lift height.

Being on a FTC team is more than just about robotics. It’s also about inspiring others to be enthusiastic about science and technology and connecting with the scientific community. The team held robotics demonstrations for local Boy Scout troops 301 and 27, and they visited with Dr. Richard Mahoney, Director of Robotics and members of his team at the renowned research institute, SRI. The team has also been invited to help out with Hiller Aviation Museum’s Robotic Ranger camps this summer.

The Team recently celebrated its successful season, and is looking toward the next season starting in September. You can view video of their robot and competitions at http://www.youtube.com/themetalthatmovesTM

— Winslow Yee

Piano Competitions During the San Mateo County Fair in June!

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San Mateo County Fair Youth Classical Piano Competition will be held on Sunday, June 10th at the County Fair Grounds.   Also The Fair is offering “Non-Classical and Own Composition” Piano Competition (new this year) on Saturday, June 9th.   Student may enroll for the both competitions.   The students (under 18 years old) and teachers must be the San Mateo County resident in order to enroll these piano competitions.

For application and more information:

www.SanMateoCountyFair.com > Contests > Youth Exhibits

650-574-3247