January 2015

Dear SSHS,
I did a lot of online shopping this last holiday season, and while most transactions went well, I had a real problem with a small online company who refused to send me my full order. Apparently some pricing information on their site was wrong, and they didn’t intend to sell all three parts for the price listed, but their excellent price was the reason I bought from them in the first place! Their Customer Service Department told me I could either return the part I did receive, for a full refund, or pay a huge amount for the additional two parts I still need. Unfortunately, I’d already assembled the first part, and I can’t afford the other two now, which makes my purchase a huge waste. Do I have any recourse?
Kathlene, Pleasanton, CA

She Said: Ah, the famous Bait and Switch…perhaps unintentional but still wrong. They advertised one price, albeit accidentally, and then didn’t honor it. Not okay. So first, I’m going to preach a little and say, this kind of thing doesn’t generally happen when you shop locally, so here’s a little shout out to the mom and pop stores out there who want your business and will bend over backwards to get it. Anonymous online companies can come and go without regard for reputation, so “buyer beware.” That said, you were ripped off, so I did a little research and noticed you bought from a third party through Amazon. You’re in luck. Amazon has great customer service and the desire and incentive to maintain a good reputation with the public. Even though you weren’t really buying from them and they would prefer you reach a solution with your seller, their A to Z Guarantee (a tab at the top of their site) does exist as a final resort for buyers who haven’t been able to reach a satisfactory resolution. They’ll take care of you.

He Said: This sounds like the company made an honest mistake, but I have to echo Robin’s caution of Buyer Beware. I do a lot of online shopping and what I’ve found is if I compare the same product at several sites and its way cheaper on one, then it’s probably too good to be true. I really don’t see any recourse other than posting honest reviews about your bad experience on Yelp, Facebook, or Twitter. But next time around, if you see an unbelievable price online, give the company a call before you place your order just to verify what’s included in the price. No phone number? No deal! A listed phone number always makes the site and company more legit and customer friendly. Also check to see that their return policy and privacy policy are posted for everyone to see. And if you use a credit card or PayPal, you can always contest the charge to your account if something goes wrong with your order as long as you refute the charge on your account before you pay for it on the next billing cycle.

Robin Fahr is a public relations specialist and co-host with Shawn Shizzo on Conversations and He Said/She Said seen daily on Tri-Valley TV, Channel 30.                  Send your questions to AskHeSaidSheSaid.com.

It seems that during the cold winter months, it’s universally acknowledged that our skin gets dry. I typically carry hand lotion with me wherever I may be, but during the winter months I’m wishing I had a Costco-sized bottle around at all times! We get a lot of people asking what types of treatments are going to soothe their dry, itchy skin during these cold (well, cold to us) months and we’ve got a pretty sweet solution.

Sugar or salt scrubs. Wait, what? Sugar or salt scrubs! A nice, gentle exfoliating sugar scrub will help you get soft and smooth again in roughly 60 to 90 minutes. I say 60 to 90 because those are the treatment length options we have, and I always push for the 90 minutes. Oh, before I get into that, maybe I should provide a bit more detail on exactly what a sugar or salt scrub is, here at Healing Hands.

We offer various scents, including mango, coconut, brown sugar and fig, peppermint, and more. The treatment itself is full body and won’t leave you sticky. If you so desire, you can choose to have just your legs, arms or back done, but I’m telling you, a full body scrub is where it’s at!

The treatment itself typically starts with your back and with the texture of the sweet sugar (or salty… salt) scrubbing along, it’s like the best back scratch you’ve ever had. You are basically getting an incredible scratch on all the spots you didn’t realize were itchy until that scrub hit ya! Removing the sugar or salt is also quite heavenly, a hot towel is gently placed on the area and the granules are wiped away, removing all the dry, dead skin the scrub helped you get rid of. After the removal of the scrub, you’ll get a nice, light massage with hydrating cream to bring your skin back to life. I swear, you won’t be let down once you feel how incredibly silky your skin is after the treatment is done.

We offer these all year, but the winter months seem to bring out the necessity of the treatment to men and women everywhere. Whether you are looking for a quick fix to winter skin or something you can do regularly to keep your skin super smooth and soft, sugar and salt scrubs are the way to go. As I said before, I always recommend going for a 90 minute treatment because not only do you get the scrub on all the parts you need, you also get some extra time to relax and really soak in how sweet the treatment really is. Get it? Soak in how SWEET it is?

Just to throw the idea out there, we also offer a coffee scrub which helps with stubborn cellulite – call for more information!

Give us a call or book online to try one of our scrubs today. 925-362-9892 or www.healinghandssalon.net

Following summer’s wild kaleidoscope of seasonal produce, the farmers’ market may seem a bit tame this month. Stroll through at a leisurely pace, however, and you’ll see there are still plenty of delicious bargains to be had. Look for an array of delicate Asian vegetables; plenty of crisp celery; cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts; numerous varieties of lettuce; tender spinach; sweet potatoes; russet potatoes;the often-overlooked parsnip; winter squash; crisp apples; juicy citrus; and fuzzy little kiwi. Shopping at the farmers’ market is the ideal way to begin the New Year—when both healthy eating and thrift are top priorities.

Carrots are available year ‘round, so it’s easy to take them for granted. That is, until you bite into a slightly bitter supermarket carrot with a tasteless, woody core. One taste of a sweet, farm-fresh carrot will remind you what all the fuss is about. As an added bonus, dark orange vegetables like sweet potatoes, winter squash, and carrots provide immune-nourishing beta carotene.

While I’ve got you thinking orange, let’s talk “baby carrots” here. Americans seem to have a soft-spot for anything labeled “baby,” and those ubiquitous little cellophane bags of carrots have captured the heart of our nation. Adults appreciate this effortless addition to any crudité platter; and kids love to nibble on them—with or without a dip for dunking. These “babies” naturally make a better food choice than a lot of other snack foods, providing you understand there is really nothing youthful about them. Some ingenious entrepreneur decided to whittle away the coarse outer layer from oversized carrots to create these finger-friendly snacks with the adorable name. For the best flavor, look for genuine baby carrots at the farmers market: they’re definitely young and tender— with their green tops still attached as proof of freshness.

Snacking is all well and good, but winter calls for comfort food….and nothing beats a soup supper on a blustery evening. Roasting the carrots in the oven deepens their flavor, and fills your kitchen with tantalizing aromas. All that’s needed to complete the meal is a green salad and a loaf of artisan whole grain bread from the farmers’ market. Leftover soup will keep several days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze it for longer storage.

Carrot Tips
–Carrots, with their feathery green leaves and long, tapered roots, are members of the parsley family.
–At the farmers’ market we’ll often see “boutique” carrots in unexpected hues of deep red and other earth tones. The difference in flavor is negligible, but their color adds interest to stews and crudité platters.
–Other farmers like to experiment growing less common varieties of orange carrots that may be round or appear otherwise misshapen. Be sure to ask the grower about them, as they are often surprisingly sweet and flavorful.
–Healthy green tops are a sign of freshness—which is why most supermarkets sell only “clip top” carrots. Without the tops to give away their age, carrots can be weeks or even months old.
–It is best remove carrot tops immediately after purchase, as they eventually draw vitamins and moisture from the carrots.
–Yes, carrot tops are indeed edible, though sometimes slightly bitter. Use them as you would parsley.
–Carrots should be stored in a plastic bag in the crisper-drawer of the refrigerator.
–Should carrots become limp, re-crisp them in a bowl of ice water.
–Young carrots and (real) baby carrots are thin-skinned and therefor require only a light rinsing. Older carrots develop a tough outer skin, and should be peeled before using.
–1 cup of chopped raw carrots weighs in at a mere 52 calories. They are high in Vitamin A, and a good source of Vitamin C.

Roasted Carrot Soup with Warm Spices
2 pounds medium-to-large farm-fresh carrots, cut into 2- to 3-inch chunks
2 tablespoons California olive oil
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
Fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 cups (32 ounces) homemade or reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 1/2 cups water
Plain yogurt and/or coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or carrot tops for garnish                                   Optional: Lime wedges for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a baking sheet, drizzle the carrots with olive oil and sprinkle with curry powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, the cumin, and cayenne. Toss gently to coat. Spread the carrots into an even layer and cook, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned at the edges, about 45 minutes.

2. In a soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger and cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown.

3. Carefully scrape the roasted carrots and their juices into the pot. Stir in the chicken stock and water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the carrots are very tender, about 45 minutes.

4. Using a hand-held immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Alternatively, let cool. Then, working in batches, purée in a food processor or blender.) Taste, adding more salt or spices if needed. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro. Pass lime wedges at the table, for guests to squeeze into soup. Makes about 7 1/2 cups, to serve 4 to 6.

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM, or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com. This market is made possible through the generous support of the Town of Danville. Please show your appreciation by patronizing the many fine shops and restaurants located in downtown Danville. Buy fresh. Buy local. Live well.

Wow. Another year; new hope, new renewal.

We live in a wonderful, exciting time. At what point in our history has so much information been available to us at the stroke of a key or click of a mouse? Most of it good, some of it distorted beyond normal proportions.

We have major societal and political decisions to make this year. In the arena of the latter, we will be looking at a new Congress controlled by one party, and the President of a different party. Will bitterness and finger pointing continue, or will they finally realize that we, the people, are getting tired of all the nonsense? It has been hard not to be bored with all the foolishness on the part of some members of Congress who seem mainly interested in wanting to destroy the President, and then him striking back with his own agenda. Can’t they understand that we pay them, and they need to at least start a dialogue?

They will need to sort out sending our military people back to places where we thought our war was over. They will need to sort out how to deal with Cuba. They will need to sort out foreign policy toward Asia and Europe. They will need to sort out immigration. They will need to sort out how to keep the economy strong and keep job strength growth. They will need to sort out how we protect ourselves from cyber warfare.

And what do we need to take care of? We will need to sort out what we want to do about our personal cyber security. We will need to sort out how we approach social media. Are we going to stop using Facebook and Twitter as much? Are we going to spend as much time working, and more time with family? Are we going to be able to sort out how our communities interact within our society? We will need to sort out where one person’s freedom of speech ends and another begins. Will we understand that racism lives in many segments of our communities and that police and community need to work with one another and respect one another?

When I was young, I had all the answers. As a teen, a right wing conservative, I had all the answers. In college in the Vietnam era, I became a liberal and had all the answers.

Now, as a “mature baby boomer” (whatever mature means) I realize having the true answer may be impossible in many cases. I find myself more and more wanting to look at both sides of issues and try to take the bright spots in both. Is that wussy, or is that smart? See I don’t even have the answer to that!

So I warned you coming into this column, it would be random and it is. I just hope and wish for the new year, 2015 that we all can spend more time trying to figure out how to live together and solve our problems rather than “hating on” people who may approach things differently than we do.

Can we try to make 2015, truly, a year of renewal; can we try to truly understand each other? If we can endeavor to do that, this could be the best year yet.

Does that make sense?

Everybody loves a winner! It’s hard not to root for the good guys and what better good guys than an all-boys Catholic high school. Bob Ladouceur taught at De La Salle High School. He also coached football. But more than that, he raised up men. With a 151—yes 151 game winning streak—the Spartans seemed unstoppable. Inspired by a true story, When the Game Stands Tall is the remarkable journey of a legendary coach who took De Le Salle High School from obscurity to stardom, shattering all records for any American sport.

This home-grown story played out on a local football field for 12 straight seasons. When the streak is broken because tragedy strikes the team, Coach Lad must teach his players, and the entire town, that it’s not about how far you fall, but how you get back up.

James Caviezel plays Bob Ladouceur with incredible insight into the man (maybe he ended up with a little divine guidance after hanging on a cross in Passion of the Christ). Caviezel is a truly amazing actor, whether he’s playing Jesus (I can’t imagine trying out for that role) or the lead in the hit TV show, Person of Interest. I personally think they couldn’t have found a better Coach Lad. The real Bob Ladouceur and his Assistant Coach, Terry Eidson, even did cameos as what else, coaches, in the movie.

College coaching jobs were dangled in front of the coach but for more than twelve years his commitment was to teaching kids how to find their own self-worth. When asked by a reporter how long the streak can last his comment was, “Winning games is doable; teaching kids to win in life is the goal. Winning games was never the goal.”

He focused on “the Perfect Effort” and reliability. His belief? Every great team needs leaders to cut the path and followers who will make it wider.

The pressure of failure is oppressive, but that’s where true leadership shines. Every Spartan team member for 12 years had to, or got to, live with the “not on my watch” mentality and then, in one earth shattering moment the streak was gone, but more tragically, so was the life an endeared teammate.

I truly enjoyed this movie. It was well acted but more importantly it was chocked full of life lessons for young and old. This is definitely a must see for football fans and families. As always I welcome your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.

2015…Seriously? Clichés and me have a real love hate relationship, but time really does fly. The sprint to the end of the year has always left an indelible mark on me. Starting with the time honored tradition of giving thanks in November, then carrying that into December where we prove our thanks with gifts and gatherings (and oddly ugly sweaters) then January brings the warm, damp towel to drag across the surface of the year, wiping it clean to start again.

I have never been one to look too far in the future without realizing how I got to the present, so this month I would like to take a moment to adjust the rear view and recognize just how we got here.

In August of 2012 I was offered (I kind of begged) the opportunity to write for Eric and ALIVE Magazine. At the time, I was head long into my career, which had me traveling the globe, so naturally I thought it would be a travel article. I rapidly realized that not only was Harry Hubinger doing a smashing job on his Stamps In My Passport, but also we had oddly gone to many of the same places. Not wanting to squander the opportunity, I settled on the only other thing I knew at the time…restaurants. But I had no desire to write about food. I was going to suggest places based on their behind-the-scenes attributes that create return customers. A peek behind the scenes that I knew too well as a restaurant manager. Never a bad review. The places I didn’t agree with simply didn’t make the cut. Here then, is where we are today:

My Go-To’s:
If we need a patio and people we love, you can find us at Norms..always. Unless it is pizza night, then we will be at Jules!

Family:
There are places that are nestled in my heart for the rest of my time on this earth. Forbes Mill heads up the pack as my primary family, Incontro took me in and are the finest people I have ever known and Mi Casa is, well, my home!

Tip-Of-The-Cap:
What would memories be without a few fallen heroes? A few places are no longer with us but left their mark. The cowboy biscuits and gravy that started it all at Iron Horse Café (my first article) is now a Mexican restaurant, owned by an employee of IHC. Best in Show Hot Dogs had an ownership dispute. One guy took the cart and one took the truck, never to be heard from again. Pho Saigon is now Pho-Something Else and still very good, but not the original that fed me my first meal home from Africa.

Top of Their Game:
Rodney Worth wrote the foreword for my book What Seems To Be the Problem and promptly opened up two more restaurants. I can’t wait to see what’s next for him. Denicas is my wife’s finding, and the connection I made with her is real. Hopefully we work together one day (stay tuned). Yannis Greek Taverna is the finest Mediterranean food I have ever had, and you know I love Greek! Fudruckers is still the best business model I have ever found, even though my meat intake has slowed down. Sakura (Tony) will always be “our” sushi place, but your allowed to go…I guess. And I will never stop loving the salad bar at Round Table in Alamo.

Deli:
I found out I eat a lot of sandwiches. Ikes blew my mind with their menu and back-story, Brass Bear will always be family, but my latest discovery is Gary at Slow G’s. He cares about what goes into your body and it shows!

I won’t even mention the road trips we took, but I certainly hope there are many more of them.

Happy New Year Loyal Followers! I appreciate you all!

It is now 2015. It does not flow trippingly across the tongue like 1915, does it? Few of us (including me) were around in 1915. Let’s take a look at it.

1. A World’s Fair was held that year. Where?

2. A pitcher made his baseball debut that year and hit a home-run in his first start. Who was he?

3. A famous movie made its debut that year. What was it?

4. U. S. entrance in WWI was precipitated by German’s sinking what liner that year?

5. Who was our president in 1915?

6. Alexander Graham Bell made a phone call to Thomas Watson that year. From where to where?