You know the old saying, I may not know much about art, but I know what I like.  Well let me tell you, if you can’t find something to fall in love with at either one of the Judith Hale Galleries in Los Olivos, there’s something seriously wrong.

  I spent a sunny Saturday morning with Judith and came away in awe of the eclectic collection of art in every medium imaginable.  From jewelry to garden sculptures, paintings, bronzes, collages and fountains.  You name it, there’s an art piece for every taste and pocketbook.
  Judith came to the business of fine art in a roundabout way.  She and her sister, artist Nancy Phelps, opened a small gallery above the Los Olivos Post Office in 1987.  “It was a spur of the moment decision,” Judith said.  She was on sick leave from her job in the grocery business when the idea struck.
   After 25 years in management, money handling, scheduling and rescheduling, she put her business acumen to work and entered the art world.

Phyllis McAlister (seated) has worked for her daughter Judy for the past 17 years.

  Now with two galleries under her direction, Judith Hale Gallery and Judith Hale South, the side by side shops showcase her impeccable taste and after some time spent in either gallery you know Judith has found her niche.
  One of her personal favorites, artist Dirk Foslien, is a young man with a talent for capturing the Valley on canvas.  His skies glow and you can almost see the leaves shimmering in the breeze.  I quickly became a fan too.
  On the personal side, she has been married for nearly 17 years to Don Hale, who has worked for 48 years at the Santa Barbara News Press.  “Don is always supportive and works hard for me,” she added with a big smile.  Judith is proud, too, of her children.  The eldest of three, Eric McDonald, lives and works in Maui.  “He’s at the Pacific Disaster Research Center, tracking storms,” she said.  Second in line is daughter Jennifer, a Stanford graduate in mechanical engineering who also lives in Maui and works for Hawaiian Sugar.  The youngest, Julie McDonald, is finishing up her masters in  elementary education at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.  Proud mom?  You bet!
   A Valley resident since 1979, Judith, originally from LaFayette (California) came here via Goleta.  “We lived at Rancho Alegre when we first moved to the Valley, then eventually relocated to Santa Ynez,” she said.

  Devout in her faith and a dedicated mom, Judith says that her life is all about her kids, she’s been a den mother, cheerleader coach, swim instructor and is deeply involved with her church and Bible study.  “At one time,” she admitted, “I traded bible study lessons for piano lessons for my girls.”
  Judith’s mom was on hand at the gallery and obviously experienced in the business.  When I commented on how nice it was to see mom “helping out,”   that brought forth a chuckle from both mom and daughter. “Helping!” Phyllis retorted, “I WORK here.  I’ve been working for my daughter for 17 years, she’s my employer.”  Well apparently the combo works, Phyllis commutes from Orcutt on a regular basis and it looks like she is a savvy employee with good job security.
  When I first contacted Judith about a visit from The Wooden Spoon, she was quick to point out that she didn’t cook.  No, not her, she said and wondered how she would fit into the column’s framework.  Well, I pressed, you obviously have a recipe for success, seeing that you now have two galleries.  And, I persisted, you do have to eat and you have a husband and three children.
  At that point she told me that if I were to ask her kids to name a menu it would be “Vienna Sausages, cottage cheese, peaches and fish sticks.”  Her favorite foods, she said are “cheese, yogurt, salad, fruit, veggies and chicken fixed any old way.”  Sounds like most of the major food groups are covered!
  I did manage to get a recipe from her, in fact I got two.  Judith agreed to share her recipe for success and one for spaghetti pie that you cook in the microwave (that recipe comes with a history.)  “Mom,” Judith explained, “was selling appliances in 1977 when she was drafted into teaching microwave cooking, and the pie recipe was gleaned from the ones she used during her microwave teaching days. 
  “It takes just under 20 minutes to prepare,” she added, “and will serve six.”
Sounds like fun to try and with all the cheese, sausage, onions, oregano, etc., my mouth is watering.

SPAGHETTI PIE
6 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, well beaten
1 pound ground beef or bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 eight ounce can tomatoes, cut up
1 six ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain and stir in butter.  Add Parmesan cheese and eggs.  Using a ten-inch pie plate, form spaghetti into a “crust.”  Microwave on high, uncovered, for two minutes.  Crumble ground beef or sausage in a large (1-1/2 quart) bowl and add onion and green pepper.  Place in microwave and cook, uncovered, on high for five minutes stirring three times to break up the meat.  Drain off excess fat, stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano and garlic salt.  Cover and cook in microwave, on high and stirring at least once, for approximately three minutes or until sauce is bubbly.    Spread cottage cheese over bottom of spaghetti “crust” and fill “pie” with meat mixture.  Cover and cook on high for about six to seven minutes or until heated through.  (Turn dish at least once if your microwave doesn’t have a turntable.)  Top with mozzarella cheese and microwave one more time until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and let stand for eight to ten minutes to “set” before serving.  Garnish with chopped parsley.

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