Sugar

It was a groovy day Friday at Dunsmore Elementary School. A few hundred people, including students, faculty, staff and family members, attended Dunsmore's annual carnival and talent show, sponsored by members of the school's Parent-Teacher Assn. The carnival had a theme of "Groovy Movies." Every carnival game and food stand had a movie theme to it, like the "Space Jam" basketball throw and the "Shaggy Dogs and Scooby Snacks" food stand. Students played the beanbag toss and the clothespin drop, as well as other games, winning prizes such as hair extensions, balloon rockets, Frisbees, jump ropes, basketballs, stuffed animals, purses and wallets.

My Happiest Thanksgiving Memory, Even Though ... One Thanksgiving I drove to Ventura to share the feast with friends. First up was a molded salad with cranberries and nuts. I hate wet, soggy nuts. I was pushing them around my plate when our hostess leaned over to tell me, "You'll never guess the secret ingredient in the salad." After I admitted I wouldn't, she whispered, "Dr. Pepper." Things went downhill from there. We didn't even have pie for dessert. While fiddling with my purse, I somehow took a photo of my plate during the meal.

Hoover High School Co-principal Kevin Welsh surprised students on Friday when he grabbed a set of drumsticks and hammered out a version of the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" with a group of student musicians during a concert at the school. About every 10 weeks, student musicians perform at the school. But Welsh took the privilege away a few months ago when students shoved each other in a mosh pit during a performance and used inappropriate lyrics, Welsh said.

Last week, I thought the only remedy for a hot, smoggy August afternoon was an air-conditioned coffee house with my large iced latte in hand, and my iPod blaring the top 20 in my ears. Yesterday, I walked into the hip surroundings of Yogurtiers in Burbank, served myself a large frozen yogurt and relaxed in front of a flat-panel television showing MTV. I left with a whole new perspective. Who knew frozen yogurt topped with some fresh fruit and crunchy breakfast cereal could make you forget your favorite java — and the triple-digit temperatures outside?

Nothing takes the chill off a cold morning like hot foods for breakfast. Looking for some historical tidbits to accompany today's breakfast recipes, I pulled up the Internet browser and found myself engrossed in a fascinating Web site - www.mrbreakfast.com. Mr. Breakfast claims to be the No. 1 expert on breakfast. His alter ego, Eddy Chavey, is a freelance author, speaker and graduate of the Los Angeles New School of Cooking. He's currently at work on a new cookbook, "The Big Book of Breakfast."

Hospital hosts aging seminar Glendale Adventist Medical Center will host a free lecture on the "Issues of Aging" at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the auditorium on the ground floor of the main building at 1509 Wilson Terrace. There is no fee and refreshments will be served. The goal of the seminar is to engage, educate and motivate community members about the family challenges faced in caring for an elderly, frail or dependent family member. The evening will get underway with a keynote speaker and several other speakers knowledgeable in elder care-giving.

A cavernous corner of a shopping mall is probably one of the last spots in which you'd look for creative confections, but it's all happening next to a wacky sock shop on the third floor of the Glendale Galleria. Xooro recently opened its second Los Angeles location here, no doubt an unlikely spot for Spanish sweets. But with the legendary Kyochon Korean chicken wings downstairs and L.A. Creamery across the way at the Americana at Brand, this little pocket is becoming an interesting area for foodies.

Once seated, we introduced ourselves to our tablemates, Frances Burk and Gladys Wylie. They were just finishing their meal and told us to save room for dessert. Frances moved to Mountview from Sylmar to be closer to her sister Virginia, who lives in La Crescenta. Virginia's children Trent from La Cañada and Carla Johnson of Glendale visit often with their aunt Frances. Gladys, who has been widowed twice, worked for many years in the insurance business. Now she enjoys her grandchildren.

Almost every kid loves to help carve the jack-o'-lantern at Halloween: digging into the squishy mush up to your elbows, pulling out the innards, saving the seeds for toasting, and consulting with the adult knife-wielder on the number of teeth, the shape of the eyes and whether it should be friendly or really scary. Finally, there is the magic of giving it life by lighting the candle and placing it on the dark porch. What does this have to do with food?