Dinner in 30 minutes: How to make a terrific creamy pesto sauce for pasta

The other day I posted the picture to the right on Instagram. I got a great response from people, so I told folks I would post the sauce recipe here for everyone to enjoy. This meal takes about 30 minutes to cook and will certainly satisfy.

A few key points to consider before you start the sauce:

1 - Sure, you can make your own pesto at home, if you want. But if you don't want to go through that effort, head over to World Market and buy Cucina and Amore pesto. You will save a ton of time and it works as a terrific base to make a creamy pesto sauce.

Nonno's Ristorante in Murrieta California: A picture review

Murrieta, CA - I will be brief with words and let the pictures do the talking here. To break it down for you, this is a great place to go on a date - no matter if it is your first date or your 50th anniversary.

Spectacular service by the waitstaff, great music on the weekends and a central location near major freeway exits make this a sure fire WIN in my book.

Upcoming events in November 2016

Patriot Cup Golf Tournament   Nov. 4 To benefit VFW Post 1956 of Menifee. 8:30am-2pm / Menifee Lakes Country Club: 29875 Menifee Lakes Dr. (951) 672-1991 / www.menifeevalleychamber.com Monte Carlo Extravaganza   Nov. 4 The Corona Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the annual Legislative Outreach Fundraiser and Salute to Active Duty. Help us protect business from bad legislation, as well as educating our legislators on best business practices. 5:30-11pm / DoubleTree by Hilton, Ontario Airport Hotel Corona Chamber of Commerce (951) 737-3350 / www.mychamber.org Eastvale Health Fair   Nov. 5 Jurupa Community Services District (JCSD) Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting a Health Fair. Participants will receive health information, experience fitness demos, interactive games and activities, a children’s fun zone and more. 8-11am / Eleanor Roosevelt High School: 7447 Scholar Way (951) 727-3524 / www.eastvaleca.gov Riverside County Sheriff K9 Competitions & Demos   Nov. 5 Bring the family! No other dogs allowed on grounds. Ingalls Park, Norco (951) 270-5632 / www.norco.ca.us Military Service Resource Expo   Nov. 5 5K Walk/Run, Expo and Field of Honor Opening Ceremony. We are inviting local organizations that provide resources and services to our military men, women and their families. This event will coincide with The Rotary Club’s Field of Honor opening ceremony and the 5K Run for The Gary Sinise Foundation. 9am-2pm / Veterans Memorial Park: Town Square Park, Murrieta (714) 907-7207 / www.wcr.org

CUBS IN SERIES!! Update featuring 'The Curse'

HOLY GOATS, BATMAN -

BSC, CA – Just when you think things can't get crazier this year, and I won't even go into all that, then the Chicago Cubs beat the LA Dodgers 4 games to 2, winning the National League Pennant [I guess that's what they still call it, barring another Mandela Effect.

Unless you live in the Midwest or lived there at one time, like myself, you can't fathom the meaning of the Cubs being in the World Series for the first time since 1945. It was the beginning of the Atomic Age, the Generation spoken to in Matthew 24, and The World's Mightiest Mortal was outselling the Man of Steel at the newsstands and in drug store comic book racks.

Today we have the digital age and the word 'atomic' seems so yesteryear. Unfortunately the idea of war hasn't faded from history. Superman is beating up on Batman nowadays, but lo and behold, did the goat finally forgive the Cubs, relinquishing the Cubs' curse after all. After the jump we look at great shots of the winners in the most superstitious sport played today, baseball. 

Though I don't follow baseball like I once did, or the way many people still do, I haven't forgot the thrill of World Series Fever. When you combine the possible breaking of a long curse, as recorded in the filming of Fever Pitch, well, the same fever that Boston saw a few years back is now sweeping Cubs fans. You can feel it from these pictures of last night's win.

The pitching was phenomenal.

One of two late bloomers for the Cubs, Russell crushes it for two runs.

The other late bloomer, Rizzo, beats out this bunt to single on the Dodgers.

Javier steals second,

And the Cubbies win 5 zip over the scoreless Dodgers.

And Batman, well...

Bruce Wayne says he will be watching the World Series when it starts on Tuesday.

Update - TITLE SHOT

The Cubs hadn’t been in the World Series since 1945; the 70-year drought is over. The Chicago Cubs have won the National League pennant a total of 17 times dating back to 1876 (but hadn’t won a NL pennant in the last seven decades until this year).

And of course most of you have heard that they haven’t WON the World Series since 1908 (that’s a lot of years of futility – 107 if you are counting). The Cubs also won the 1907 World Series.

The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1997 (and before that 1995 and 1954). The team’s last World Series victory was back in 1948 (and their only other title was in 1920).

THE CURSE OF THE BILLY GOAT

(Excerpt from Wikipedia, just to give you the basic idea)
The Curse of the Billy Goat was a sports-related curse that was supposedly placed on the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in 1945 when Billy Goat Tavernowner Billy Sianis was asked to leave Game 4 of the World Seriesagainst the Detroit Tigers at the Cubs' home ballpark of Wrigley Field because the odor of his pet goat (named Murphy) was bothering other fans. He was outraged and allegedly declared "Them Cubs, they ain't gonna win no more," which has been interpreted to mean that there would never be another World Series game won at Wrigley Field.

The Cubs did not play in the World Series from 1945 to 2016, when they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the National League championship to advance to the World Series, arguably breaking the curse. However, the curse has not been broken, as they have yetto win a World Series. According to the curse "You are never going to win a World Series again because you insulted my goat.”

WORLD SERIES PREVIEW
The winners of the ALCS and NLCS – CHI Cubs and CLE Indians face each other in the World Series, which begins Tuesday, October 25th (tomorrow). The American League gets home field advantage by virtue of their victory in this year’s All Star Game (ridiculous criterion, to be discussed at a later date).

This addition update to Cubs in Series provided by The Fugitive Commissioner, our consummate Sports Fan writer.

JACK REACHER – NEVER GO BACK

CHARACTER EXPANSION -

BSC, CA – Jack Reacher Never Go Back opened today and as one of the eagerly awaited films on the BSC list [Rogue 1; Dr. Strange follow], we joined the crowd seeing an early show. Also the showing we hit wasn't an Imax because it is the story, not the effects that BSC readers really want to know about, or as much as can be said without spoilers.

Personal reaction. I liked it as did my co-reviewer. We both saw the original Jack Reacher 2012 at the movies and I bought the DVD so I got familiar with the character Jack Reacher. Never Go Back almost lets some of Tom Cruise into the picture, perhaps because Cruise is more comfortable with the portrayal. Still, if Cruise shines through, it's just a glimpse.

Tom Cruise is the type of movie star almost like a John Wayne. His action hero is his persona onscreen. But Tom Cruise can also lose Tom Cruise in character, as he did as Les Grossman [Tropic Thunder] or the hit man in Jamie Foxx's cab. Jack Reacher is that sort of character, men of action. Reacher is a character of action, and this time we get to see more of the character Jack Reacher is.

The movie picks up right from the Sheriff in the cafe talking to a scuffled-up Reacher in a diner. In the film the trailer we have all seen is more fully flushed out and goes effortlessly into the DC part of the plot. Here I have to say that the villains in JR1 were more original both in looks and origin, and scarier. I mean the Zac, like an evil Col. Klink, driven by pure evil. Hard to top that. Also I have not read any of the 15 books written about Jack Reacher, so I have no depth of knowledge about Reacher's range of villains.

Action again fills the atmosphere as this time the plot doesn't just involve Reacher and one other support character like a female DA. The characters of conflict expand this outing to allow the viewer to witness more of Reacher, the person, a loner, this time not quite so cut and dried, but definitely still ass-kicking.

The female co-protagonist this time is the woman occupying Reacher's old office dept. As the movie enfolds, we get to see that this woman is as down in the dirt as Reacher, but realistically [probably] there is a reason most competitive arenas are gender specific. Though the Reacher counterpart is tough as nails, she gets tossed around the way a man throws a woman, she's a scrapper not the Black Widow. The fight scenes are action-packed and she gets her licks in by being quick-witted. The dialogue may seem flat [not the sparkle like the DA who had the hots for Reacher] between the two but realistically, people don't fall in love over the course of a movie unless it is a movie. Both characters are loners, hence exact positions in the Service.

The scope of JR2 opens broader in range, in characters, in themes, and in location. Gone are the narrow hall shots and claustrophobic ambience of JR1. The set pieces open up to reveal some explosions, foot chases, and slick moves by JR and his small band of folks in need.

As original, Rotten Tomatoes gave JR2 Never Go Back just 38% and that may be so, since the movie opens with the drifter scenario and closes with it, but for the fans who gave the movie 87% or 4 Stars. JR2 Never Go Back delivers in that the person of Jack Reacher is explored, past the person you didn't count on, past the person who is left standing, to the core of a loner; someone who once had the kid in them, perhaps their idealism, violently shattered leaving only justice as the bulkhead against the loneliness of loss. And best of all, we get to see Tom Cruise run again.

THE COOLEST SWEET TASTE OF TAHITI PREVIEW - Part Deux

A LOTTA SHAKING GOING ON -

BSC, CA - We left off in this past double-header Saturday dedicated both to holistic science and the Cannabis Whisperer, in town for an encore to this event. It was also our community garage sale day in my magical hood of the valley. If you ever wondered why Shamrocks is on this side of town, the answer is at the end of this story.

Meanwhile, the not-so-distant sound of that island rhythm draws us back to the moment we left off from...

In part one.


Across the way, people had crowded to watch the free preview of the Taste of Tahiti dancers,

Before the order was given to really shake things down.

Then it was on.

Before doing a high kick-off to adoring fans for the next portion of the ToT Preview,

A brief interlude

The kids rocked.

Afterwards the dancing opened up first to fellow students, then to interested kid bystanders, and finally to the grown-ups.

People may have been watching quilts or stomping grapes somewhere, but the Mall was turning heads.

Now to answer the lead-in question about my magical side of town and Shamrock's. Wee Folk garage sales, of course.