It’s time to get nutty! Most folks know that fresh almonds and walnuts abound in Northern California. But pecans? I found them for the first time at our Sunday farmers’ market (8th and W Streets) this fall. Exclusively sold by Calvin Acres Pecans, you’ll pay $6 for a 1-lb bag.

These naturally sweet nuts won’t be around long! This Sunday is your last chance of the season. After that, you’ll have to wait until next fall’s crop. But don’t worry—if you want to eat pecans in the summer, stock up now. You can freeze and enjoy them until the next harvest.

Happy birthday, Aquarians! The Sacramento Kings want to help you celebrate with FREE tickets. According to their website, anyone with a January birthday “can select an upper bowl seat ($25.50 value) or a lower bowl seat ($79.50 value), your choice.”

Being the water girl that I am, I attempted to obtain my free ticket online. One for me, plus one for my January birthday pal. In fact, I probably have a dozen friends with January birthdays. Sadly, the online system won’t allow you to select more than one free ticket at a time. So, you’ll have to link up via cell to ensure you’re all booking seats in the same row. An added burden, but hey, they’re FREE.

Hurry! Tickets are only available for two more games: January 26 against the Warriors and January 30 against the Bobcats.

What you are about to hear is truly fowl. You may want to cover your ears. According to the Sac Bee, a local family has been issued a notice by the city to have their unruly chickens removed. Keep in mind, we’re not talking about roosters here, but chickens. According to the story, a neighbor complained about the hens’ raucous “cooing.” The nerve!

I for one would like to create a top ten list of the most horrible ways to wake up in the morning:

10. Oven door shutting, followed by the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls
9. Wind chimes tink-tinking
8. Kittens purring
7. Waves lapping the beach
6. Rain drops pattering on the window pane
5. Birds singing
4. Hummingbird humming
3. Water fountain splashing
2. Leaves rustling
1. Chickens cooing

Indeed, I’m sure the disturbed neighbors would rather wake up to my top ten list of the absolute best ways to awake each morning: Continue reading “What the CLUCK?!” »

Doh! Slather on some cologne and grab a Duff beer, because tomorrow’s gonna be a special day! It’s the DVD release of The Simpsons 20^th season. Woo! Hoo!

If you missed the delightful 20^th Anniversary documentary hosted by Morgan Spurlock last night, don’t have a cow, man. Rumor has it the feature is part of Disc 4 on the DVD.

Where can you buy the complete DVD set? Shop locally and head down to The Beat at 1700 J Street. It’ll cost you $49.98.

But that’s just a fact, and as we all know, the wise Homer once said, “Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that’s even remotely true!”

The City of Sacramento has the cleanest drinking water of any city in California! It’s time to celebrate by protecting this high-quality resource instead of wasting it needlessly. Let’s all party green together with these helpful tips:

• Write to the City and tell them to install your water meter today. Water meters have been called the “most effective way to encourage sensible water use” by The Guardian newspaper. We can’t wait till 2025 (the lengthy timeline set for the actual installation throughout the city). We need to start conserving today. Think of this way: if you’re a family of three, and you’re doing your part to save a little water here and there, you’re paying the same amount on your water bill as your neighbor who has a family of five and runs their sprinklers in the rain. Do it for the planet, and do it for your own water bill!

Continue reading “Sacramento’s Drinking Water Rated Highest in the State” »

Novella Carpenter compares herself to the witch in Hansel and Grettle, “I fatten things up so I can eat them.” A more apt description might be Charlie from the Chocolate Factory: she’s found a golden ticket to building community through urban farming, and she sure is ecstatic! Carpenter recently spoke about her new book, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op as part of a fundraiser for Soil Born Farms.

Carpenter embodies the passionate social movement surrounding locally grown, sustainable food practices. She’s sharp as a tack, yet laid-back, and comes dressed in her jeans and work boots. She opens by cheering about her afternoon class on backyard chicken farming, “I felt like I was part of the resistance movement. Yeah!” She declares with fist raised, earnest but laughing.

Carpenter takes this work seriously. She lives Continue reading “Farm City: Tales from an Urban Farmer” »

The Crest, which its grand architectural detail.

Palladio 16 in Folsom.

Last night marked the grand ribbon cutting and opening of the new Palladio 16 Cinemas in Folsom. The event offered much pomp and circumstance, complete with a limo loop to drive attendees from parking lot to red “carpet” (which is actually a sparkly, red, stone addition to the actual sidewalk).

The theater seats are spacious and cozy—they even recline. The digital picture quality was sharp and pristine. The entire place still smells of plastic and new—except for the entrance, which obviously smelled of freshly popping, buttery corn.

Overall, it’s certainly a quality viewing experience. Yet, for the $19 price tag you’ll pay to experience it, you won’t find any of the exquisite character of The Crest with its grand architecture and artistic detail. Aside from the fancy red sidewalk, it’s just a basic, dark, nondescript theater. You won’t be hearing the classic Annie song “Let’s go to the Movies” with images of Broadway tap dancers floating through your head. It’s just another movie theater with an ultra-high ticket price.

This Second Saturday, enjoy your art and share it, too. Head over to Raphael Delgado Art Studio, 1018 22nd Street, for a unique pairing of art and the spirit of giving. But don’t show up empty-handed! This party is for the giver, not the Grinch. Bring along some art materials to donate to the Stanford Home for Children’s annual Crayons to Canvas art supply drive.

This drive provides materials for the nonprofit’s art therapy program helping teens from at-risk families. They are specifically in need of art supplies for youth ages 10-18.

With art provisions in tow, Continue reading “This Second Saturday Help Bring Art to At-Risk Kids” »

When farmers start decorating their wares for the holidays, you know Christmas has arrived! At the downtown Sacramento Sunday farmers’ market, Tadlock Landscapes wins the prize for most festive. Donned merrily in bright bulbs and shiny beads, they’re selling this fully-decorated living tree for $60. That’s a bargain price for a tree you can keep around year after year.

Looking for something cheaper? They’ve got lots of sizes and prices from which to choose. If you love the scent of pine, but can’t bear to cut down a real tree, a living tree is a delightful way to celebrate the holiday. And buying it from a local farmer?—Double brownie points for you. Your name is sure to land on Santa’s “nice” list this year!