Your Handy Guide to Spring Vegetables

Spring is a bountiful season when it comes to gardening, full of fresh fruits and vegetables that add bright flavors to your meals. If you want to take advantage of what’s in season in the springtime, these nutritious vegetables will help you get started.

  1. Beets. Beets have been having a moment for the past couple years, and for good reason. What used to be the skipped-over bowl in the salad bar is now a popular addition to juices, salads, and even breads and desserts.
  2. Asparagus. Dense with vitamins and nutrients and full of hearty flavor, asparagus is especially plentiful in the springtime.
  3. Spinach. Green, leafy veggies, like mild-tasting spinach, grow especially well in the spring, and they make much more nutritious bases for salads than the usual iceberg lettuce.
  4. Peas. Forgo canned peas in favor of fresher, more flavorful peas right from the produce aisle or farmer’s market. They’re simple to prepare and have a wide variety of uses, and peas grow rapidly all throughout the spring season.
  5. Artichokes. Slice them up for sandwiches or toss them in a salad. However you serve artichokes, they’re always a pleasant surprise.
  6. Zucchini. You’re likely bombarded with zucchini each spring from friends and neighbors with garden surpluses, but that’s never a bad thing. Zucchini is full of healthy nutrients, and its versatile consistency makes the squash a great ingredient for everything from breads to stir-fries.

What's In Season? [Oprah.com]
Spring Vegetables Slideshow [Bon Appetit]

Public Domain/Public Domain

Unplug and Unwind at Chesebrough Park in Santa Clarita

If you’re looking for a place to blow off some steam this weekend, consider a visit to Chesebrough Park. This kid-friendly park in Santa Clarita hosts modern playground equipment for the kids, including bright orange and neon green play structures, jungle gyms, sliding boards, and swing sets. Meanwhile, older visitors can take a stroll or jog along the paved paths that wind their way around the playground and the park's grassy playing fields.

Chesebrough Park also contains a large softball field that is available for public use and for local league practices, as well as covered pavilions, numerous picnic tables, and public restrooms and water fountains that make a day outdoors much more convenient.

Chesebrough Park is open from sunrise to sunset daily.

Chesebrough Park
23505 Sunset Hills Drive
Santa Clarita, CA 91354
(661) 259-2489
www.yelp.com/biz/chesebrough-park-santa-clarita

Valenica Lanes has Dollar Bowling Night Tonight!

Looking for something fun and inexpensive in SCV? Well Valencia lanes is having bowling for just one dollar tonight!

Happy Spring!

Spring has sprung! What is your favorite thing about Spring?

Dr. Richard H. Rioux Memorial Park: 17 Acres of Untamed Space

In his time in Stevenson Ranch, Dr. Richard H. Rioux made a great impact on its people. He was the director of the Los Angeles County Antelope Valley Rehabilitation Centers, and helped many people fighting drug and alcohol addiction. Given his service to the community, it's only fitting that Dr. Rioux serves as the namesake for Dr. Richard H. Rioux Memorial Park in Stevenson Ranch.

In the good doctor's honor, 17 acres were set aside in 1999 as a natural space where locals could escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The park consists mostly of sprawling grassy lawns and beautiful views, so head here for a picnic, a day of sunbathing, or just some time reading in the shade. With basketball courts, a covered playground, and sports fields, there are plenty of more active options if you're interested in those forms of recreation, too.

Dr. Richard H. Rioux Memorial Park
26233 W. Faulkner Drive
Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
(661) 222-9536
parks.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/dpr/Parks/Dr_Richard_H_Rioux_Memorial_Park
www.yelp.com/biz/dr-richard-h-rioux-memorial-park-stevenson-ranch

Enjoy Mexican Food in a Hurry at Chronic Tacos

Chronic Tacos only recently debuted in Valencia, but the first location opened more than 10 years ago in Newport Beach. It was the brainchild of a pair of friends, Randall Wyner and Daniel Biello, who thought that the late-night food scene was really lacking in the area. Well no more. Biello and Wyner's brand of quick, to-order Mexican food filled that gap.

Head here for fresh flour or corn tortilla tacos filled with any meat you like, or a behemoth burrito stuffed with rice, beans, and, again, your pick of protein. You can also order one of the kitchen's specialty items, like the handcrafted flautas packed with carnitas, beef, or chicken and then dunked in the deep fryer. The deep-fried potato taco is another signature, showcasing creamy mashed potatoes and cheese. Don't forget to indulge in some Chronic fries, either, which the menu describes as "basically nachos with fries instead of tortilla chips."

Chronic Tacos
28301 Newhall Ranch Road
Valencia, CA 91355
(661) 294-9415
www.eatchronictacos.com
www.yelp.com/biz/chronic-tacos-valencia

Taco Tuesday at Chronic Taco!

Enjoy some delicious tacos at Chronic Tacos! Laid-back chain serving build-your-own Mexican fare with local ingredients, including breakfast.

For more information regarding location, food and more visit www.eatchronictacos.com.

Easter Basket Ideas for Teens!

Who said teenagers were too old for Easter baskets?

Check out these cool ideas here.

Counting Calories? Here’s How to Stick to a Diet When Dining Out

It can be difficult to eat healthy while dining out, but that doesn’t mean you have to sabotage your diet. Here are a few smart tips for finding healthy, low-calorie meals at any restaurant.

  • Look up the menu online. Most restaurants today upload their menus to an online site, which means that you can research the healthiest options and even check the nutritional content before you leave the house.
  • Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask your server what type of oil a meal is cooked in, which sides it comes with, and if it’s topped with any decadent sauces. Then, feel free to make modifications as you see fit.
  • Steer clear of the appetizers. If you’re out with a group of friends, don’t fall victim to snacking on nachos before the meal. This can add hundreds of extra calories to your meal.
  • Know some key words. Stay away from dishes with descriptions like “pan-fried,” “cream-based,” “au gratin,” or even “sautéed.” Instead, opt for dishes that are grilled or baked.
  • Moderate your alcohol intake. Enjoy 5 ounces of red wine or 12 ounces of light beer instead of cocktail to add only 150 calories to your meal.

13 Rules for Dining Out On a Diet [Today Health]
How to eat out while sticking to your diet! [Vedonis]
How to eat at a restaurant on a diet – How to survive without blowing your diet! [What’s Cooking America]

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

May your day be touched with a little bit of the luck of the Irish!