6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JULY 19, 2017
Betty Kaiser's
Cook's Corner
S
ummer suppers are the bane of my daily life. I absolutely
hate cooking in hot weather. The heat not only makes
me grouchy and takes away my appetite but it fries my
brain when it comes to meal planning. Usually, I wake
up wondering what’s for dinner and it nicely gels into a plan before
I’ve eaten breakfast. That does not happen in June, July or August.
Cooking creativity and desire die in the heat.
Probably the most exciting meal we’ve had this summer is one
that I concocted out of leftovers. I peered in the refrigerator and
came up with some cooked rice, chicken, bell peppers, onions and
tortillas. Hmm. How could I put this together, spice it up and make it
special? Perhaps one of those new-fangled burritos would be good.
Now I am a California Girl and I love genuine Mexican food. One
of my fondest childhood memories was eating dinner at Olvera
Street in the 1950s with my family in the heart of historic Los Ange-
Tiny houses
Continued from A1
substantial,” said CVC member Allan Katz. While the group has
collectively taken grant writing classes and has a handful of ap-
plications into various organizations they won’t hear back until at
least mid-August and even then, there’s no guarantee they will be
awarded the funds.
The current estimate to complete all 13 houses is approximately
$800,000 and with several other community projects such as the
carousel and armory renovation draining local charitable pockets,
funding sources will need to vary.
“We’re hoping some angels show up,” Katz said, noting the group
is hoping to solicit in-kind donations as well as monetary ones.
To give fundraising a kick-start, the BBQ will offer community
members the chance to walk the property and view tentative plans
for the project.
“It will show what the village might look like but not the size or
design of the individual houses,” Katz said.
Currently, the property contains a house and a large shop which
will be utilized for the BBQ. CVC has hired a caretaker and in the
coming days, the group will be hosting a work party to begin re-
vamping the house. A new roof is in order, according to Katz and
fellow CVC member Bruce Kelsh.
For now, the project has hit a slow period as members of the
group vacation and tend to families but both Katz and Kelsh expect
interest and work to pick up again come the fall. Grant awards will
be announced and fundraising efforts will be doubling.
“We’ll know either way at that point and we’ll have a better idea
of what the fundraising effort will have to look like,” Kelsh said of
the grant announcements.
Under the terms of the grant from Meyer Memorial Trust, con-
struction on Cottage Village must be completed by the summer of
2018. Both Kelsh and Katz note that extensions may be possible
and the group may inquire as to whether or not construction can
occur incrementally.
les,. We also used to eat at the now famous El Cholo Restaurant
on Western Ave. in L.A. But contrary to Mexican food folklore,
there were no burritos on the menu. Albondigas soup, enchila-
das and tacos-yes. Burritos-no. Burritos were a poor working
man’s meal made of simple corn tortillas and beans.
I learned about burritos from watching our neighborhood
gardener’s helper eat his lunch. He was a Mexican immigrant,
did not speak English and had not adopted American ways. He
worked hard. Every day at noon, he would sit down at the curb,
get out his lunch bucket, make a little fi re and heat his beans and
corn tortillas. I was mesmerized by the process but I didn’t stare
(it’s not polite!) so I don’t know how he made the fi re or heated the
food. I just know that he did.
Corn tortillas were originally small. They were a staple of ranch-
ers, cowboys and braceros who moved about the countryside. They
were easy to make on a camp fi re, the ingredients didn’t spoil but
there was barely room for a spoonful of beans and meat inside.
Maybe that’s why the larger fl our tortillas were introduced in Cali-
fornia and Texas border towns.
The size of today’s fl our tortillas amaze me. They are so big that
I seldom order one because I can’t begin to eat it all. Still, when
faced with nothing for dinner, I decided to concoct my own gigan-
tic chicken burrito recipe. It was good! So if you’re desperate for
a dinner idea, check out your refrigerator and cupboards. You’ll be
surprised at what you come up with. Enjoy!
Supper Surprise! Chicken Burritos
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 cup red and green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 cup cooked rice
1 can, (15 ounce) Pinquito beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed, drained
1 small can green chilis, drained
1/3 cup black or green olives
3/ 4 cup thick and chunky salsa
Spices as desired: salt, pepper, dash cayenne, cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 cups Jack cheese
8 fl our tortillas (10” wide)
Sauté onions and bell peppers until soft. Combine with rice,
beans, corn, green chilis, salsa and olives with spices. Warm
tortillas one at a time in a skillet. Place 1/4 cup cheese on bot-
tom half of 1 tortilla; top with 1/2 cup bean mixture and rice
mixture; add 1/4 cup chicken, leaving 1-inch border around
bottom and side of tortilla half. Fold bottom edge of tortilla
over fi lling, then fold in opposite sides of tortilla and roll up.
Place each burrito seam-side down on a baking sheet lined
with parchment. Bake in 375ºF oven 15 to 20 min. or until heat-
ed through. They can also be wrapped in foil and heated on an
outside grill.
Serve topped with sour cream, salsa, cilantro and lime wedg-
es. A fresh fruit salad makes a nice side dish. Serves 8.
Bicycles Northwest coming to CG
Bicycle Rides Northwest is excited to an-
nounce that our 2017 Oregon Bicycle Ride,
“Crown of the Cascades,” will be touring
through your region July 22-29. This week-
long, fully supported road-bike ride will
start and end in Sisters and will make a sce-
nic loop that will include Crater Lake and
multiple passes over the Cascades.
We look forward to helping our riders and
guests enjoy your communities and the sur-
rounding region. A recent study shows that
recreational bicycle tourism brings about
$400 million a year into the state of Ore-
gon. Our tours showcase the rural regions
that make Oregon special, through scenic
routes, historic landmarks, parks, public
lands, Scenic Bikeways and friendly com-
munities. Our guests come from all over the
U.S. and abroad to explore the Northwest
by bicycle.
Covering over 450 miles in seven days,
the Oregon Bicycle Ride is a true Oregon
experience that will include some of the
most challenging and beautiful roads in the
Cascades and Central Oregon, including
Cascades Lakes Scenic Bikeway, Crater
Lake Rim Road, Aufderheide Memorial
Drive and McKenzie Scenic Pass. Besides
Sisters, we will also stay overnight in the
following communities along the way:
La Pine, Diamond Lake, Cottage Grove,
Oakridge and Blue River.
Our overnight camping spots include
Sisters Middle/High School, La Pine High
School, Broken Arrow Campground at
Diamond Lake, Bohemia Park in Cottage
Grove, Oakridge High School and McKen-
zie River Community Track in Blue River.
See our full routes and schedules here:
www.bicycleridesnw.org
Touring this region by bike offers our
participants opportunities to engage and in-
teract with your communities in a way like
no other. We often work directly with local
businesses and points of interest to offer
tours or educational programs for our rid-
ers to learn about the area. Our guests are
strongly encouraged to stop and visit points
along the way and at each night’s camp –
museums, parks, historic sites, and the
small businesses, restaurants and shops in
the areas. At some of our overnight camps,
we provide local food, local speakers or
entertainment for our participants to learn
more about the region. We expect about 300
riders for this ride.
Sanna Phinney, Executive Director for
Bicycle Rides Northwest, adds, “For 2017
we’ve picked one of the classic Oregon
routes in ‘Crown of the Cascades.’ Besides
the highlight of riding the Rim Road around
Crater Lake, this route showcases some of
the state’s fi nest forest roads and mountain
vistas. Our riders will be surrounded by nat-
ural beauty every day, and staying in wel-
coming communities along the way. They
always cite the interactions with people in
the communities along the way as among
the most memorable parts of the tour.”
About Bicycle Rides Northwest
Known for “Low Density – High Adven-
ture,” Bicycle Rides Northwest is a non-
profi t organization that started in 1987 as
Oregon Bicycle Ride, Inc. Our mission is
to provide fully supported scenic bicycling
adventures to discover the beauty of the
Northwest and the heart and soul of its com-
munities. Each year we organize one week-
long road ride in Oregon and one week-long
road ride elsewhere in the Northwest. We
have organized tours in Oregon, Washing-
ton, California, Idaho and Montana.
The fi rst Bicycle Rides Northwest tour in
1987 took 68 cyclists from Hells Canyon,
Idaho to the Oregon Coast in seven days.
Thirty years later, we continue to show our
participants the best the rural Northwest has
to offer. We also support a variety of other
bicycle-related nonprofi t organizations.
For more information, visit our website
at www.bicycleridesnw.org or contact San-
na Phinney at info@bicycleridesnw.org or
541-382-2633.
Distracted Driving
Driving safety involves a comprehensive set
of standards that applies at all times for all
drivers sharing the road. It is a privilege and
a responsibility to have a driver’s license.
That’s why distracted driving has come to be
the focus of many safety organizations across
the country.
Distracted driving is a top safety concern, and
it is caused by participating in a variety of
activities that can draw your focus from the
road. Even a simple action such as sending a
quick text to a friend or family member can
divert your attention long enough to put you
able distance during that timespan. The NHTSA
reports that teen drivers — who also are the
most tech-savvy drivers on the road — are the
most distracted drivers.
or your passengers in serious danger.
COMMON DISTRACTING ACTIVITIES
According to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, 3,179 people were
killed and 431,000 were injured in motor
vehicles involving distracted drivers in 2014.
Here are the most common distracted-driv-
ing activities, according to the NHTSA:
• Texting
• Using a cell phone and smartphone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a navigation system
• Watching a video
• Adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player
MOST DANGEROUS ACTIVITY
Due to certain factors, some activities pose the
greatest risks. Texting is a modern-day safety
dilemma, and because it is a multi-dimensional
activity, it is now considered the most dangerous
by many in the transportation safety industry.
Sending an average text takes a driver only five
seconds, but your car can still travel a consider-
WHAT YOU CAN DO
The statistics related to distracted driving are
startling. Many drivers, innocent passengers and
even pedestrians are impacted if you take your
eyes off the road. Some victims have to live with
permanent injuries. Drivers are responsible for
not only their lives but the lives of every passen-
ger, as well as by-standers.
Wondering how you can help keep our roads a
safer place? Education is the most effective tool
in persuading the public to avoid these activities
and make safe driving a priority. Contact your
local safety organization today to find out if
there are volunteering opportunities at local
events or schools. Share this article with others.
Do whatever you can to spread the word on
distracted driving and its negative impact on the
roads we all share.
This message brought to you by the
following businesses:
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COTTAGE GROVE POLICE DEPARTMENT
400 E. Main Street
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BRAD’S COTTAGE GROVE CHEVROLET
2775 Row River Rd
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STARFIRE LUMBER COMPANY
2795 Mosby Creek Rd
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104 Mill Street
Creswell
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1144 Willagillespie Rd, Suite 32
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S entinel
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www.cgsentinel.com