Van de Kamp’s Bakery – Home for the Holidays!

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CA Favorite is Baking a Comeback

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

With the holidays here, nothing is better than seeing old friends and distant family members. In a sense, that’s what happened to SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti on a recent visit to the Laguna Hills farmers’ market.

At the market we turned a corner and stepped back in time. Facing us was the instantly recognizable windmill logo of one of California’s gone, but not forgotten, favorite restaurants and baked goods companies – Van de Kamp’s Bakery.

Started in 1915, the company once dotted Southern California’s landscape with its blue-and-white, Dutch windmill-topped restaurants and its baked goods in grocery store aisles. Then, with changing business conditions, in the 1990s they were gone.  Now, like an old friend, here they were again. On full display among the produce and specialty items at the farmers’ market.

SurfWriter Girls stopped to talk to the woman behind the counter and found out that she was Kathryn Van de Kamp, the great granddaughter of Theodore Van de Kamp, one of the company’s founders. And she is restarting the bakery now. As she puts it: “Baking sweet memories back to life.”

Her energy and enthusiasm are irresistible…just like VdK’s baked goods. What’s more, she told SurfWriter Girls, she has her family’s original handwritten recipes.

Currently, she’s at farmers markets and online, selling VdK’s trademark Almond Icebox and Dutch Girl cookies, chocolate chip, double chocolate, cherry nut, and shortbread cookies, baked crumb doughnuts, banana nut and date nut loaves.

With her daughters onboard, Van de Kamp said that she is excited to be reintroducing her family’s baked goods legacy to new generations of cookie and bread lovers.

SurfWriter Girls are glad to see this familiar brand again. We have memories of our own about these favorite treats that have been part of our lives.

Especially the date nut bread! We both used to order it at Van de Kamp’s restaurants – served with a giant dollop of cream cheese on the side. It’s sooo good.

Welcome back, Van de Kamp’s! We’re thankful to have you home for the holidays.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Autumn in the OC is Boo-ti-ful

Posted on by under Lifestyle

 

Pumpkins and Treats, Goblins and Good Eats!

Written by SurfWriter Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

In October when the leaves start to fall and the Santa Ana winds pick up, signs of autumn and Halloween are all around us in SoCal. From North Orange County to South Orange County – especially at Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach and the River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano.

In North OC, Roger’s Gardens, with its upscale plant nursery, boutique shops and gourmet Farmhouse restaurant spread over 6 acres, is always popular. From early fall through the holidays – when it puts on its party face – is when it really draws people in.

In the lead-up to Halloween, the gardens and shops take on a spooky aura reminiscent of Ray Bradbury’s novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, when the mysterious carnival with its strange goings-on blows into town early one morning. Mixed in among the plants and displays are crystal balls, a fortune teller’s booth, mystical signs, and more.

The farm-to-table Farmhouse restaurant (a Surfrider Foundation Ocean Friendly Restaurant) makes the most of seasonal dishes. Specialties include: Apple Pumpkin Butter-Stuffed French Toast, Pink Lady Apples and Prosciutto Pizza, Grill Soy Dijon-rubbed Pork Tenderloin, Pumpkin Mascarpone Cheesecake, and other unique offerings.

While waiting for your table or walking off the calories, you can explore the shops and gardens themselves, which are filled with twists and turns and plants to add to your own garden, including some spooky Halloween ones.

In South OC, the newly expanded River Street Marketplace (near the famed SJC Mission where the swallows come each year) takes a page out of Old OC with its cowboy/western feel of barns, haylofts and grazing cattle, and a pumpkin patch where Charlie Brown’s Linus could wait for the Great Pumpkin.

With room to roam around in, you can stroll past the indoor/outdoor food hall and shops (including a fully-stocked Hobie Alter surf shop) or pause and sit awhile, taking it all in.

Some of the restaurants include: Hawaiian-inspired Shootz, Bred Hot Chicken, Mexican gourmet Capas, Pastalia, Kebab Craft, Asian-style Nom, American classic’s spot The Stand, Hudson’s Cookies (Yum!).

SurfWriter Girls opted for a traditional favorite – the grilled cheese sandwich at Bred Hot Chicken. It was sooo good!

If you stroll along the nearby picturesque Los Rios Street, beware! The oldest residential street in California, it’s said to be haunted with many ghost sightings…and maybe even a Bag Monster.

These North/South OC spots – and many spots in between! – are sure to put you in a boo-ti-ful mood for the autumn season.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Scarves Protect, Wrap in Beauty

Posted on by under Lifestyle

 

Sun Fashion with a Storied History

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen. These are all essential ways to protect ourselves from the elements and the sun’s damaging rays. There’s another way, too – one with history and a touch of glamour. Scarves.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti learned that in 1300 BC Egypt’s Queen Nefertiti wore a headscarf. In ancient China and Rome neck scarves were used by the military both for protection and to designate rank. And in the 18th century, French Emperor Napoleon made the scarf a symbol of glamour and romance when he gave his wife Josephine a cashmere scarf from India.

Iconic French brand Hermes was the first (in 1937) to design silk scarves imprinted with unique and beautiful patterns. Still the gold standard in scarves, they quickly became luxury fashion accessories coveted by royalty and high society.

SurfWriter Girls got interested in scarves recently when Patti came across a box of vintage scarves in back of a drawer, including some vivid ones by acclaimed mid-century designer Vera, whose fashions were popular with Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly.

Then, when Patti’s sister Eileen sent us some Anne Klein scarves, we were hooked.

For surfers, traveling to remote surf spots or chilling on the beach, scarves have earned their place in a go-bag. You can wear them around your neck or head, as a wrap, top, or even a skirt. Some scarves come with sun protection factor (SPF) ratings.

Protecting the sensitive skin around the neck and throat, scarves are a way to express yourself, reflecting both the moment and your mood. In cotton, cashmere or silk. Comfy and casual at the beach. Elegant for an evening out.

From royalty to regiments, surfers and even Spot, the Target dog, scarves are the perfect cover-up.

Check the books shown for more about the historical settings in which scarves evolved.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Gloria Steinem Was a Trailblazer

Posted on by under Lifestyle

 

Journalist, Author, Women’s Activist Dies Sept. 2, 2026

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

On September 2nd,  journalist, author, activist Gloria Steinem passed away after a lifetime of trailblazing efforts on behalf of women. At a time when women weren’t even allowed to apply for credit cards without a male sponsor, Steinem was at the forefront of the women’s movement, seeking equal rights, opportunity and pay for women.

And now, thanks to Steinem, women in all walks of life – from competitive surfing to science, education to entrepreneurship, artists to astronauts – have a place at the table.

Steinem went undercover as a Playboy Bunny cocktail waitress in 1963 at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Club in New York City. Donning bunny ears and a cottontail, she wrote an article for Show magazine about how the club treated women, revealing that behind all the glamour the women were underpaid and exploited.

Speaking at women’s rallies, in her trademark aviator glasses she was instantly recognizable as the voice of women’s equality. Hard to believe now, at the time job opportunities were listed in newspaper want ads as “Men Wanted” and “Women Wanted” with many jobs not available for women.

In 1972 she was one of the co-founders of Ms. magazine, the first national magazine to focus on feminist news. The first issue featured Wonder Woman on the cover and discussed everything from voting in elections, paying women for housework, and the equal rights amendment to demystifying how your car runs.

In addition to editing Ms. and writing countless articles, Steinem also wrote numerous books and was the subject of many books about her.

SurfWriter Girls admire how Steinem used all the tools in her arsenal – intelligence, skill, wit, perseverance – to pave the way for modern women to have untold opportunities.

Combining pragmatism with optimism, she described herself as a “hopeaholic” and was always working to make the world a better place – not just for women, but for everyone.

To find out more about Gloria Steinem, check out the publications in our story.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Mark My Words

Posted on by under Lifestyle

 

Bookmarks Keep Us On Track

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

When we want to save something online, we bookmark it. Just click it and you’re done. When we’re reading a book, using a bookmark tells us where we’ve left off so we can start again.

SurfWriter Girls love to read books and make sure to always have a bookmark handy. Bending or dogearing a page is a definite no-no.

We were intrigued to learn that the earliest bookmark known to exist – an ornamented leather strap dating to 6th Century AD – was found in an Egyptian monastery. Did you know that cat statues were often placed in Egyptian sacred spaces for protection against evil spirits?

Through the ages bookmarks have been prized for their practical and decorative value. From the early monks (when scribes painstakingly hand wrote religious manuscripts) through the 15th Century, leather straps, vellum tabs, and silk ribbons were often used as bookmarks.

After the printing press was invented in the mid-15th Century and mechanically printed books became available, the public began to read, and a variety of bookmarks were used.

Over the years bookmarks have been made from embroidered silk, metal, fabric, cardboard and plastic. Some bookmarks are works of art, while others are fun, informative, inspirational or support a cause.

Enhancing the reading experience, they can mark a favorite recipe for later, save our place in a reference or how-to book, keep us on track in a mystery novel to find out Whodunit.

From inexpensive and promotional advertising bookmarks to treasured, gifted ones, bookmarks enable us to make a statement, express our thoughts and passions, add style to our day, put a smile on our face…and, of course, mark the page.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

 

Thrifty Ice Cream Is Back!

Posted on by under Food, Lifestyle

 

Get the Scoop on California Classic!

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel                     

I scream. You scream. We all scream for Thrifty Ice Cream. What better news for a hot summer day than the news that California classic Thrifty Ice Cream is back!

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti got the scoop that the beloved Thrifty Ice Cream brand that was a favorite at the now gone Thrifty and Rite Aid drug stores is getting a new roll-out and a new look with individual-size 3.6-ounce servings making their debut.

On trips to the drugstore from the 1940s into the 21st century children everywhere used to pull their parents to the ice cream counter and coax them into getting them 5-cent cones (eventually raised to $2.49) topped with the iconic, cylinder-shaped scoops of ice cream.

SurfWriter Girls learned that the scoopers used to dig out the ice cream from the giant cartons behind the counter were designed to be less messy to use and easy on the workers’ arms.

Under the brand’s new owners Hilrod Holdings (whose management team has links to Monster Beverage Corp.), the ice cream, made in El Monte, CA, is getting positioned to retake its place in the frozen treat lineup. At the top!

Although it’s been available at a few retailers and restaurants since the two drug stores closed, Thrifty Ice Cream has mostly been under the radar – until now. Hilrod CEO Dani Rothenberg has high hopes for the ice cream, calling it “California’s best-kept secret.” That’s something he’s eager to change, expanding the product offerings, moving into other states, and linking the ice cream to sports and other events, including partnering with Wahoo’s fish tacos restaurant at this year’s U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA.

In addition to getting the standard, 48-ounce ice cream cartons onto retailers’ shelves, the new individual-size cartons are going to give Ben & Jerry’s, Haagen-Dazs, and other premium ice creams a run for the money. And, in different spots, too – multipacks at Costco and individual cartons and fresh scoops at Angel Stadium.

SurfWriter Girls found these red-white-and-blue Thrifty ice cream treats at Costco just in time to celebrate the 4th of July.

With Thrifty turning up in so many spots, the only problem for consumers will be picking which flavor to have. SurfWriter Girls polar bear friend Bear – an expert when it comes to cool treats – made it simple. He chose two!

With old time favorite flavors like Rocky Road, Mint Chip, Pistachio Nut, and Chocolate Malted Krunch on the scene – and more flavors to come! – it’s definitely something to scream about.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Surfing Timeline is a Treasure

Posted on by under Lifestyle

 

Tom Gibbons Shares the Stoke!

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

When SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti went to the mailbox we found an unexpected treasure – a hard copy from Tom Gibbons, founding President of the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA), of his website: The World of Surfing and Its Influence.

The website itself (surfingtimeline.org) is a labor of love that Gibbons began over a dozen years ago – a timeline chronicling surfing’s development from the ancient Hawaiians to the 21st century and its impact on culture, lifestyle, the economy, environment, and more.

Gibbons, an avid surfer and surf coach who co-founded the NSSA in 1978, is also a supporter of the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, the California Surf Museum, the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, and the Surfrider Foundation. You could say that surfing is in Gibbons’ DNA.

He created the surfing timeline to keep the history of the sport alive and to ensure that the people who have turned surfing into a megaforce are recognized. Surfers. Board makers. Artists. Entrepreneurs. Surf industry leaders. Organizations.

Like they say, “It takes a village” to make things happen. Surfing has its tribe – a worldwide network of surfing enthusiasts that are working to build and improve the sport and protect the ocean and beach environment.

SurfWriter Girls talked to Gibbons about his love of surfing and how it’s grown from just being a sport to an integral part of cultures around the world.

“When I started teaching in the late 60s surfing didn’t have the best reputation and many didn’t even consider it a legitimate sport, “ Gibbons told us. “My goal was to bring education and surfing together to give the sport credibility. The school systems were very supportive of this.” Gibbons even created a Surfer’s Journal students could use to track their surf sessions and set goals for themselves.

Starting out in Thousand Oaks and later moving to the Huntington Beach Union High School District, Gibbons became a champion for student surf athletes. He said the students were eager to form surf clubs and to make surfing a letter sport. To encourage and support the students, Gibbons created the first surfing academic scholarship. It was $300 – with the money provided out of his own pocket!

Gibbons sent SurfWriter Girls the surfing timeline because he wants to get the next generation on board to keep it going.

He’s covered over a century of surfing – starting from pre-1910 – and is ready to hand the baton to a new group of surfing historians. Researchers. Teachers. Students. Anyone who loves surfing. Check out the website and get in touch with Gibbons to see how you can get involved. This is a chance to not only chronicle history, but to be a part of it.

Like legendary surfing ambassador Duke Kahanamoku, The Endless Summer filmmaker Bruce Brown, and Kathy Kohner Zuckerman (“Gidget”), you can share surfing’s story, share the stoke, and build the sport.

SurfWriter Girls are all for that! Octy and Stitch are, too.

The time(line) is now!

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Barrier Island Turtle Sanctuary

Posted on by under Environment

 

A Safe Place for Sea Turtles

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

The Barrier Island Turtle Sanctuary in Florida’s Brevard County, on the Atlantic Coast, provides a safe place for sea turtles to lay their eggs. On this fragile swath of coastline, Loggerhead, Green, Leatherback, and other turtles find shelter and the nesting ground they need.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti are fascinated by sea turtles.

We learned about this special place that plays an important role in the marine ecosystem from Sunny’s sister Rose Singer, who moved from California to Florida with her husband Bob, and is a volunteer at the sanctuary.

Charmed by the windswept beach, Rose looks forward to seeing the turtle eggs and new hatchlings. Depending on the species, sea turtles typically lay 80 or more eggs in nests on the shore each season (March – November).

“Every year the sanctuary celebrates the hatching season and people gather to watch the release of turtle hatchlings into the ocean,” says Rose. “The eggs usually hatch during the night when the moon is out. You can also watch the turtles coming in to dig nests on the banks to lay their eggs. It’s quite a sight to see.”

With sea turtle populations decreasing because of the destruction of their natural habitats and wild spaces becoming fewer, this sanctuary provides a home for the turtles and gives scientists a chance to observe and learn from them.

SurfWriter Girl Patti and her husband Greg saw turtle nesting sites on a trip to Costa Rica’s rainforest and Manuel Antonio National Park.

SurfWriter Girls friend champion long distance ocean swimmer Lynne Cox has written about sea turtles, capturing the essence of their ocean journeys in her beautiful book Yoshi, Sea Turtle Genius.

The book chronicles the true story of Yoshi, a Loggerhead turtle, and her record-breaking 23,000-mile swim from South Africa to Australia, returning to the place of her birth to lay her eggs.

Driven by a primal need to reproduce, sea turtles everywhere need places for their nests. Florida’s Atlantic Coast sea turtles are fortunate to have a special piece of coastline waiting for them at the Barrier Island Turtle Sanctuary.

Sea turtle sculpture at beginning of story by artist Dave Reynolds.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Summertime is Scouting Time!

Posted on by under Environment

 

Girl Scout Designs New Patch

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Summertime is Scouting time! Since the Girl Scouts were founded on March 12, 1912, by Juliette Low in Savannah, Georgia, Scouting has been introducing girls to the outdoors and camping.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti (shown here in the paper weights they made as Girl Scout Brownies – junior Scouts) have strong memories of camping, making friends, earning merit badges, and of course, selling Girl Scout Cookies.

We were excited to learn that Maya Takeuchi of Orange County’s Niguel Coast Service Unit Junior Troop 1487 designed the patch for her troop’s participation in the 2026 International Food Fair, an annual event that teaches girls across America about food, crafts and traditions from other countries.

As the Patch Design Winner, Maya’s embroidered patch will be worn on each girl’s vest or sash, providing a colorful memory of the event. Maya said, “I came up with the idea for the patch design because it’s a food fair so the earth should be eating. And I wanted to show all the different countries’ flags.”

Her troop participated in the fair by learning about Japanese food and traditions, preparing and eating Japanese food, and dressing up in bright, cherry blossom-pink kimonos.

Maya’s Grandfather (shown here with Maya and her Dad) is Japanese so it was special for her to be able to learn more about his culture and to share it with the other girls.

Sara Salehpour, the troop’s leader and Maya’s proud mom (here with Maya), told SurfWriter Girls, “I’ve been working with this troop since they were in kindergarten and now they are fourth graders. It’s been great watching them grow and feel more independent and creative each year.”

Along with outdoor activities, the Girl Scouts helps girls to be confident and independent and to develop skills to accomplish their goals. Girls can earn merit badges in everything from nature and science to cooking, fine arts, computers, robotics and entrepreneurship.

The sky’s the limit. Just ask Maya!

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

The Ranch at Laguna Beach

Posted on by under Lifestyle

 

Idyllic Nature Resort is City-Close

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

From the beaches to the mountains, deserts, and more, people are planning their vacations with sustainability in mind. Not just looking at the amenities, things to do, and sights to see, travelers are choosing hotels and resorts that are environmentally friendly.

Perched on 87 acres at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, The Ranch at Laguna Beach is as proud of its environmentally friendly practices as it is of its idyllic setting.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny and Patti were eager to visit this Surfrider Foundation sponsor that’s made sustainability a key part of its core mission.

From the Ranch’s casual dining outdoor restaurant, The Porch, we had a view of the surrounding hills and golf course. Quiet and serene, it’s a spot to linger and let the day unfold.

The resort’s staff told us that an onsite farm provides food for its tables and a grove of trees on the property absorbs carbon dioxide. Whether it’s composting or reclaiming water, The Ranch does everything possible to reduce its environmental footprint.

The Ranch’s fine dining restaurant, Harvest, is certified by Surfrider as an “Ocean Friendly Restaurant” serving sustainably sourced food and utilizing reusable and recyclable methods that eliminate waste and damage to the environment.

Focusing on dishes made with their own seasonal produce and craft beers and wine made in-house, Harvest’s menu mixes “old favorites with a few twists.” Lunch includes a tri-tip sandwich and wild shrimp tacos. For dinner, red wine braised short ribs, crispy duck, and white wine steamed mussels. Desserts range from apple pie to sticky toffee pudding.

The resort’s amenities reflect its natural environment with a scenic 9-hole golf course, rustic swimming pool, fire pits, hiking trails, wellness spa, and paddle board and surfing lessons.

Rated a Four Diamond Hotel by the Automobile Club of Southern California, The Ranch at Laguna Beach is part of the Beyond Green sustainable properties hospitality group.

With just a small sign to mark its entrance on a canyon road off PCH (31106 Coast Highway), this SoCal getaway gem is easy to miss, but it’s worth looking for.

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

SurfWriter Girls

Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.