Dark Chocolate Mousse, Inspired by Bobby Flay

FEATURED COLUMNIST

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Inspired by Bobby Flay

As a part of their capstone culinary arts class, Mount Madonna School high school seniors prepared and served a gourmet four-course meal for staff and visitors last month — a hands-on experience that built confidence.

The meal, which consisted of a butternut squash risotto, an apple walnut salad, bread and chocolate mousse, was executed entirely by the students from concept to presentation. They picked Bobby Flay’s recipe for Dark Chocolate Mouse. While some students separated eggs, others were toasting walnuts, chopping herbs, preparing the broth, and keeping up with dishes.

“The trick to risotto is to toast everything together for two minutes, and then add the broth,” teacher Sara Sobkoviak instructed the class. She leads Adulting 101, a class that equips students in real-world skills such as culinary arts, gardening, financial planning, construction, child development, college readiness and more.

“The love and the care that these students put into making our food – you could taste it,” said Head of School Ann Goewert. “The best part was listening to them talk about the process of making the food and seeing their pride. They put thought, intention, and effort in everything they did.”

“It was amazing across the board. And that mousse? Divine,” Goewert said.

“Once you become a senior at Mount Madonna School, you get put in all these leadership roles and given all these responsibilities and are actually in charge of projects. Like cooking a whole meal, for example. It’s pretty awesome to know that I’m capable of doing that,” said student Kayla Goldstein.

Added Grace Timan, “Even though I’m not the best cook, I’m learning so much alongside my peers. We are a really close class, and we lean on each other. I’m not afraid to make mistakes or try new things. I think that’s what I really love about the Adulting 101 class…I might be no good at separating egg whites, I’m going to try anyhow. And my friends make it fun.”

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Dark Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients 51/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 14 ounces cold heavy cream 3 large egg whites 1-ounce sugar Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish, optional Shaved bittersweet chocolate, for garnish, optional

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Place chocolate in a large bowl set over a bain marie or in a double boiler at a low simmer. Stir chocolate until melted. Turn off the heat and let stand.

Beat the cream over ice until it forms soft peaks. Set aside and hold at room temperature. With a mixer, whip egg to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until firm.

Remove the chocolate from the bain marie and using a whisk, fold in the egg whites all at once. When the whites are almost completely incorporated, fold in the whipped cream. Cover the mousse and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or until set. Serve in goblets topped with more whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired. n

Share A Recipe!

Do you have a recipe that is a family favorite? Or maybe one from your childhood you would like to share? The Scotts Valley Times will be publishing one recipe each issue from a community member.

Feel free to add a little history to the recipe if you want (approximately 75 words). Every issue we will randomly choose a recipe to publish.

Find your favorite and send it to cathe@cyber-times.com today!

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Mercury’ retrograde ends February 3rd. Venus’s retrograde ended January 29th. But during the retrogrades last week, two new aspects (North/South Nodal shifts) of great importance appeared in the heavens, their influence remaining with us for the next eighteen months.

This is Part 1 of a beginning study of the North and South Nodes (present/ future and our past). In Vedic (Hindu) astrology they are referred to as the Dragon points or Dragon head (North Node) and Dragon tail (South Node). The nodes are not planets or signs. They are points in space created by the Moon’s path crossing the Sun’s path. They are like a loop or a tie or a binding together of the Sun and Moon, two cosmic principles, solar and lunar, and a binding together of the past and present/future. The North node faces the North Pole, the South Node, the South Pole. These points drift opposite each other through the months. Oppositions in astrology create integration. With the nodes, the past integrates into our present, creating our future. As the Sun entered Aquarius last week, the nodes also changed signs and both Aquarius and the nodal shifts humanity’s narrative changed. From Gemini (thinking) we shift to north node in Taurus (stabilization) north node, from Sagittarius (journey) to south node in Scorpio (dark to light). Every eighteen months, both nodes, always opposite each other, change signs. North Node representing the Sun, our present/future, our dharma (tasks, purpose). South Node representing the moon, past lifetimes, things not yet completed. The nodes hold gifts. North Node holes the gifts we are to develop in the present lifetime. South Node — the gifts, talents and abilities we have developed over lifetimes. We are most comfortable and familiar with the area of our life where our south node is. Each node has a task. South Node gathers together our past lives’ experiences, talents and abilities and these create stepping stones that, over a lifetime, lead us to our North Node. Here we then proceed forward into new life tasks. We meet our dharma, our purpose and the present/future life tasks to be developed this lifetime. The South Node provides us with all that we need to remember to develop our purpose and present life abilities. The North Node abilities are yet to be developed. The Nodes are the Path we traverse each lifetime and they are deeply connected to our Rising Sign (life purpose). (… Part 2 on the nodes next month)

Note from Risa — for daily & weekly updates see Risa’s FB page Risa D’Angeles & website www.nightlightnews.org/

ARIES You may be dreaming more often, feeling more intuitive, perhaps sometimes confused, more sensitive, inspired and insightful. Study, prayer, meditation, contemplation and a bit more repose are good for you. They cultivate compassion and a deeply caring way of being. When you find yourself in a group calling you to lead and help create the future era, all needed skills, tools and virtues appear. The new world is what you are to initiate.

TAURUS You have one task now — a focus upon health. Tend to joints and bones, hands, thumbs, arms, knees, feet and most of all your heart, not allowing anxiety or stress, eating calming Ayurvedic foods. Swimming in warm salt pools is recommended. Use practicality to care for yourself. You must choose daily — to be out and about in the sun, even if it’s snowing. Remaining at home is best. Figure out your spring garden. This helps you build towards perfect health. Begin each day facing the early morning Sun. No glasses, eyes wide open, feet on the ground.

LEO You’re becoming more perceptive, intuitive and enlightened and this affects those you work with. Someone, something (words, ideas, memories of someone in particular) creates a shift and deeper awareness of how you presented yourself in past relationships. Your mind sorts through previous ideas of intimacy. You wonder if you shared yourself and loved enough. There’s sadness sometimes, as old dreams reappear. You hear a voice saying … Love is patient, love is kind, even when it’s difficult, which means you’re learning.

VIRGO You will relate better with others, especially those close to you, if you offer love — pure, ceaselessly, unqualified and unconditional, with kindness and patience. Love is something many of us need yet to learn. We don’t quite know how to love. Or even what love is. But when we do love, we flourish and thrive and discover greater support and needed guidance. Challenging others doesn’t work. Curiosity, listening, care and compassion do. They nourish all thirsty hearts. Your heart too.

SAGITTARIUS The planets are affecting your sense of self, your identity, your money, your family, home situation, creativity and possibilities in terms of relationships, partnerships, and for some, marriage. So many different realities pulsing and shifting here and there and all about. Something kind and benevolent, something sacrificial and something remembered in your family occurs. Are relatives and loved ones on your mind? Your remembering creates the needed loving contact.

CAPRICORN You’re thinking optimistically about doing something new in the field of art to be presented to the world. It combines your talents and gifts. You want to bring more grace, goodness, ease and beauty to your life and the life of humanity. You recognize everyone’s doing their very best, especially you, and you’re asking for more opportunities. Begin writing (journaling) in earnest and even drawing what you want to do, who you want to be and how you want to serve the world. Then your next creative endeavor appears.

GEMINI Something revelatory happens between you and the world, you and work, you and Venus and Mercury (retrograde now), and you and your inner life. You’re inspired, encouraged and guided from within. With careful study, years of preparation, and viewing the past in terms of cultivating your gifts, a spiritual pathway appears. Previous choices and commitments are understood, and gratitude settles in your heart. The next festival is Candlemas, February 2. Plan on observing it. Bring all your candles out.

CANCER What have you been feeling and thinking of during these days of change? Do you sense you’re being introduced to new qualities within yourself, a new identity emerging? Do these days make you feel generous and at home? Is there a new reality or interest presenting itself? You want to participate fully. But you know it’s not quite the right time yet. Are you cleaning, singing, reading, redecorating, expanding your foundation? Love is close by.

LIBRA Think, visualize and pray daily for all that you want and need your life to be. Include beauty, happiness, forgiveness, creativity, art and loving relationships partnerships. If you’re not sure of your needs, ask yourself each day, “What are my hopes, wishes and dreams? What are my abilities and gifts?” In the coming months, you become stronger, more resilient. Take cautionary care with money and resources. You need fishes in a fish bowl and an apricot canary.

SCORPIO Use your imagination, resources and investments in terms of preparing for the future. Find a forwardthinking money manager. Catherine Austin Fitts is one who helps humanity understand present and past money issues. Think seriously about a new economy needing to unfold. It’s not digital. Keep cash on hand. Don’t speculate in the old economy. Consider precious metals. Study books on greenhouses and bio- shelters and the resources needed to create these environments. You then become the forward-thinking disciple. •••

AQUARIUS Money and resources are going through a definite change. You want adequate money in order to stabilize yourself in the future. This means more attention to the wellbeing of your finances. Don’t forget to always help others. When we serve others, our needs are always taken care of. What we give to others is returned to us in greater measure. The charts show a focus on home, past, present and future. Follow what calls to you. It loves you.

PISCES Neptune in Pisces brings forth revelations and visions. Neptune blends many realities into one reality. Order, organization and specifics dissolve away. Be aware and observe this occurring. Neptune is not the planet of detail. It’s the planet of refinement, of parting the veils, of creative imagination and realms where dreams are. Neptune transits can make us experience exhaustion. Magnesium, Vitamins A, B, C & D3 (sunlight) help stabilize the body. Tend very carefully to health in these times. Everyone is vulnerable. Especially the tender fishes. Risa D’Angeles • www.nightlightnews.org • risagoodwill@gmail.com

“3G” from page 16

Some systems, such as security alarm panels, use cellular networks as a backup for wired internet connections. You should contact your equipment vendor, doctor, security monitoring company, and so forth o determine if 4G or 5G upgrades are needed and available.

The timeframe for the 3G shutdown varies, depending on which carrier you use.

AT&T is already shutting down their networks, and has said they will complete the process by February 2022.

T-Mobile is already shutting down the 3G network they acquired from Sprint, and will complete this by the end of March. T-Mobile will then shut down their own 3G network by the end of June.

Verizon will complete their 3G shutdown by the end of December. You may have service from a Mobile Virtual Network Operator, companies that buy and resell capacity from one of the three carriers. MNVO service will be affected by the shutdown dates of the carriers they resell. For example; Boost Mobile and Mint are on the T-Mobile network, Visible and Jitterbug/GreatCall are on Verizon.

In the long run, the transition away from 3G will provide better coverage and performance for our county’s wireless networks. With a little bit of planning, you can minimize or eliminate the impact of this transition. n •••

David Witkowski is a nationally-recognized expert on wireless communications who lives in Aptos. He is a Fellow in the Radio Club of America, an IEEE senior member, and the founder & CEO of Oku Solutions LLC. He serves as executive director of the Wireless Communications Initiative at Joint Venture Silicon Valley, co-chair of the Deployment Working Group at IEEE Future Networks, co-chair of the GCTC Wireless SuperCluster at NIST, a member of the Connected Communities Forum in the Wireless Broadband Alliance, and an expert advisor to the California Emerging Technology Fund. •••

Editor’s note: On Jan. 28, the FAA said Verizon and AT&T were cleared to deploy their 5G towers near airports.

The transition into 5G has been rocky for airline passengers. On Jan. 17, the CEOs of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers wrote to federal regulators warning of “potentially devastating disruptions” when AT&T and Verizon were set to deploy 5G service. The two telecoms postponed 5G near some airports. The FAA said San Francisco, New York’s JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, and Seattle were affected. American Airlines delayed or canceled flights. United delayed flights.