Spring Recipe "My Big Fat-Skinny Greek Salad"

CVG 2016 spring recipe: "My Big Fat-Skinny Greek Salad" courtesy of Ms. Conejo Joe, 

(Note: Measurements are not used. Just eyeball the amounts per your taste.  Make a large batch like we did so you can enjoy the leftovers.)

Ingredients

• Trader Joe's triple washed spring lettuce mix or a bag of organic arugula
• Trader Joe's prepared tabouli or a box of Fantastic Foods Tabouli you can prepare
• Trader Joe's steamed lentils
• Trader Joe's thai almonds
• Trader Joe's California estate extra-virgin olive oil
• Chopped red onion
• Chopped organic carrots and/or chopped orange bell pepper
• Trader Joe's jar of Greek Kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper and Himalayan sea salt
• Dijon mustard
• Balsamic vinegar
• Miso paste
• Parmesan crisps
• Fresh parsley as garnish

Apparently we have a Trader Joe's fan in the house.

Directions

Grab a pretty plate and gently tear chilled lettuce leaves into it. 

In a glass jar mix one part Dijon mustard, one part miso, one part balsamic vinegar, coarsely ground pepper to taste and three parts olive oil. Give it (the jar, and your booty, for good measure) a good shake and set aside.

Gently toss tabouli with steamed lentils and chopped vegetables.

Grind Thai almonds in a food processor or chopper just a couple of times so you get big chunky pieces and smaller pieces mixed.  (If you don't have a food processor just put the almonds in a Ziploc bag and smash it a couple of times with a can or any hard object.)

Layer the tabouli mixture onto the lettuce leaves and garnish with olives and Parmesan crisps; drizzle on your homemade miso dressing.  Add the Himalayan salt as needed.  You may also add sliced heirloom tomatoes if you wish.

Now ENJOY and look for another happy healthy recipe in the near future from the Conejo Valley Guide family!

Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons Still Beautiful in Late Spring

Local resident Barbara Syfacunda enjoyed a hike in Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons yesterday and sent over these great photos via the CVG Facebook page. She remarked that although most of the green is gone back there, it is still beautiful. Indeed it is.

Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons cover over 4,000 acres in the northernmost section of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, in the Simi Hills. The Chumash occupied these canyons for thousands of years, until ranchers came into the area in the 1800s. The natural landscape changed as a result to accommodate the needs of grazing cattle.

The National Park Service (NPS) acquired Cheeseboro Canyon in the early to mid 1980s and Palo Comado Canyon (formerly known as the Jordan Ranch), in 1994.

Folks frequently ask, why is it called Cheeseboro when the road that gets you to the trailhead is called Chesebro? According to a knowledgeable NPS Ranger, the original owner of the land in the late 1800s was Oscar Cheesebrough (yet a different spelling). The NPS adopted the U.S. Geological Survey spelling, while Caltrans adopted the name Chesebro.

Check Out Tarantula Hill Trail in Thousand Oaks for Views of the Conejo Valley

Tarantula Hill is located off of West Gainsborough Road in Thousand Oaks, between Grand Oak Lane and Camino Manzanas. Over the years we've visited this conspicuous 1,057 foot tall hill dozens of times. A bit of a steep climb up the paved road (not really a trail) to the top, where you'll find a bench facing towards the west and panoramic views of the entire Conejo Valley and beyond.

In the summer 2014 time frame, we noticed a new sign at the bottom of the hill, plus something fun on the sign. I don't know if this tarantula is a permanent addition to the sign, but it was amusing.

It takes anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to walk up the paved hill to the top. If you're looking for some exercise but are lacking time, Tarantula Hill is a nice alternative to a stair stepper machine!

View facing east with gainsborough Road in the foreground

CLICK HERE FOR ALL SORTS OF HIKES AND TRAILS IN AND AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Aerial Views of Dos Vientos Ranch in Newbury Park in 1956

Aerial View of Dos Vientos Ranch in 1956 (Photo Credit: Howard D. Kelly, Kelly-Holiday Collection of Negatives and Photographs/Los Angeles Public Library)

According to several Oxnard Press-Courier articles in September/October 1958, evangelist O.L. Jaggers purchased the 5,415 acre Dos Vientos Ranch from M.S. Clark Enterprises on June 21, 1957 for $2.9 million, with the goal of creating the "World Church City."

According to a 1994 L.A. Times article, Jaggers and his wife Velma talked about making Dos Vientos (now part of Newbury Park/Thousand Oaks) a 26,000 resident city, "situated under a perpetually hovering 'glory cloud' that would emit a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night. Airliners would be diverted so passengers could witness the phenomenon."

After years of lawsuits brought against Jagger and his World Church by investors in the project, the land was acquired in 1965 by Louis Lesser Enterprises of Beverly Hills.

Another Aerial View of Dos Vientos Ranch in 1956 (Photo Credit: Howard D. Kelly, Kelly-Holiday Collection of Negatives and Photographs/Los Angeles Public Library)

The Thousand Oaks City Council approved development of Dos Vientos Ranch as a 2,350 home residential project in 1988 and construction began after years of planning and lawsuits in 1997. At the time, the land was owned by Courtly Homes Inc. and Operating Engineers Pension Trust Inc.

A 1997 Los Angeles Times article noted that Dos Vientos was the largest residential project ever in Newbury Park and the third-largest in the city's history. Dos Vientos is surrounded by two connecting roads that form a loop: Rancho Dos Vientos and Via Las Brisas. Lynn Road fronts the development on the south and Borchard Road serves as its main artery.

A more recent view of Dos Vientos from one of the many trails surrounding the area.

There are some nice hiking trails in Dos Vientos, including Sierra Vista Trail, Park View Trail, Vista Del Mar Trail, El Rincon, El Cerro and Las Brisas Trails, El Encanto Trail and Conejo Mountain Edison Road Trail.

Also located in Dos Vientos is The Village at Dos Vientos retail/business center, Dos Vientos Community Park and the newer Del Prado Playfield.

Piuma Road Overlook Views in the Santa Monica Mountains in Malibu

Most of us in Ventura County take Las Virgenes/Malibu Canyon Road down to PCH from time to time.  We look up and feel dwarfed by the canyons of the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. What do these canyons look like from the hills above? Well make your way up Piuma Road in Malibu to find out!

Views towards PCH and Malibu Canyon Road from first of two overlooks.

Piuma Road is the road we pass as we're driving to the beach, but rarely stop to think about....unless we're driving to Saddlepeak Lodge for a great meal. And daring cyclists and motorcyclists may know about this winding, hilly joy ride to the ocean. But rarely do the rest of us give it a thought as we're busily navigating our way down Malibu Canyon Road.

Views of Las Virgenes Canyon looking north from Piuma

Well if you're looking to take in some eye popping, panoramic views of Malibu Canyon down to Malibu Lagoon, towards Catalina Island looking south, as well as the Las Virgenes Valley on the other side, take a detour up Piuma Road. From the corner of Malibu Canyon Road and Piuma Road to several overlooks is about 4 1/2 miles. Whoever is driving better concentrate because, as you can see, the road is very winding, the elevation rises to 1500' and the views are jaw dropping.

View Larger Map

There are several overlooks where you can stop and park your car. The first one gives you a straight-on view of Malibu Canyon Road and the second provides views of the coastline towards Santa Monica.

Views from the second Piuma overlook looking down the Pacific coastline.

Deep Malibu Canyon Gorge below. A Gorgeous Gorge it is!

About a 1/4 mile before you reach these overlooks, you'll pass the Malibu Canyon Piuma Ridge area, which has a small picnic area. The views of the canyons will take your breath away. The map below, courtesy of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, shows this Ridge area in relation to the overlooks. Don't drive too fast as it is easy to pass by.

Piuma Ridge and Overlook Map excerpt courtesy of Santa Monica Mountains ConservancyAfter you take in the views at the Ridge and/or overlooks, you can either head back or drive another six winding miles to PCH via Las Flores Canyon Road, where you end up at Duke's Malibu.

If you can handle the sound of my noisy kids, here's some footage from the Piuma Overlooks:

Springtime Beauty at Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons in Agoura Hills

Cheeseboro Canyon Trail (CCT) is a 4.6 mile main artery into Cheeseboro Canyon with long flat sections surrounded by ancient oaks and flowing grasslands. Springtime is a great time to visit for a long walk the family, run with your training partners or cycling adventure with your buddies.

Take CCT past Sulphur Springs to the Shepherds' Flat area.

Once you reach Shepherds' Flat, you can take the Sheep Corral Trail north where it joins up with the Palo Comado Trail up to China Flat. Springtime colors abound after the winter rains.  Learn more about the trails of Cheeseboro and Palo Comado Canyons at THIS LINK.

Cheeseboro Canyon Trail north of Sulphur Springs

Vintage items in the China Flat area

DOZENS OF TRAILS IN AND AROUND VENTURA COUNTY

Los Angeles Rams to Rebrand as Los Angeles Rabbits Upon Move to Conejo Valley

Breaking News: After several months of speculation, the Los Angeles Rams and California Lutheran University announced yesterday that the team will be establishing training operations at the Thousand Oaks campus for a period of at least two, and as many as five, years.

Founded as the Cleveland Rams in 1936, the team became the Los Angeles Rams in 1946, then the St. Louis Rams in 1995 and of course back home as the Los Angeles Rams in 2016.

After 80 years, the Rams have one of the oldest team names in the National Football League. Out of 32 teams only six - the Cardinals, Packers, Bears, Giants, Eagles and Lions - have been around longer. 

With the move to Thousand Oaks, management decided to reassess the name of the team.

Thousand Oaks is situated in the beautiful Conejo Valley. The Conejo Valley was originally named in reference to los conejos (rabbits) by Spaniards who journeyed up the coast in the late 1700s. 

Rabbits are known for their speed, agility and strong awareness of their surroundings. Rabbits' hind legs are strong and they have the ability to adapt to a variety of environments. Rams, on the other hand, are basically male sheep.

In fact, what better name can there be for this team other than the Los Angeles Rabbits!? Ravens? Redskins? Raiders? Nah, already taken. 

Los Angeles Rabbits, welcome to the Conejo Valley!

Branding Expert Bunny Hopalot indicates this to be a natural fit. "Rabbits have a natural ability to multiply quickly," she said, "which is so critical in those 3rd down and long situations where the offense can feel burrowed in the proverbial 'rabbit hole.'"

Not everyone agrees with the decision, however.

Local resident L. Merjay Phud said "I weally, weally don't like the pwospect of the Los Angeles Wabbits inhabiting Thousand Oaks. With all this commotion it will not be vewy, vewy peaceful and quiet any more."

Happy April Fools' Day!

April Fools' fun in prior years