Farmers' Markets, Pluots, and Pistachios... Oh My!

I've never considered myself crunchy granola. My views on farmers markets were always more of the "buy local" angle than anything else. I also just love food. :) But farmers markets here in California have added to that view. Here, you can actually find organic fruits and veggies that can't be found in stores! Ever had a pluot? It's a plum/apricot hybrid with which my kids fell in love, as well as pearlette grapes. Raw honey, raw milk, peach varieties, Armenian cucumbers, passionfruit and figs (my new favorite go-to snack) are just some of the items you can find every day of the week at one of the many farmers markets in the summer. Many close October-March, but there are still 2-3 that stay open all year long.

They're more like social gatherings and block parties, some complete with food trucks and live entertainment. And you get to sample everything. Everything. You would think my children are starving the way they shove everything in their mouths. But how else are you to decide which of the 7 varieties of peaches you want to take home? We learned early on to bring plenty of reusable bags. For us, that means 4-5. Initially, we went to the Old Towne Clovis Friday night market that spanned 4 blocks and always had live music. They also have themes, like Fig Festival, Peach Party, Ice Cream Social, GreekFest and the Pistachio Party. When the season ended, we branched out to one of the most popular year-round markets: The Vineyard Farmers' Market. What makes this unique is the canopy of grapevines overhead, including hanging bunches of grapes when in season. This one includes fresh baked bread and a coffee & hot chocolate bar, making it a wonderful Saturday morning tradition with the family.

 Sampling the flavored nuts

 His favorite were the raspberry flavored pecans

 giant vegetables

herbs

buttered or spicy parmesan corn-on-the-cob

Kings Canyon

We took the kids to one of the local national parks! J was able to get a free annual pass with his military ID. Kings Canyon is situated north of Sequoia National Park and south of Yosemite. Only an hour and a half drive from the house! It was a bit chilly, but that meant it wasn't busy. We had never seen sequoia trees before, and the kids were amazed at the sight. They're so tall! I was a little worried that they would be a little bored, but it turned out to be a nice family outing. I do wish the sun had been out; would have made for better pictures. But it was a great first trip. Some sort of hiking/outdoor footwear is needed before we venture out again. Now it's just a matter of when. Our next visit: Sequoia National Park. Yosemite is a bit further, so we'll probably plan to stay in the park overnight some weekend, but that may not be until spring.  The hubs and I thought it would be wonderful to see everything in a blanket of snow this winter, but the abundance of cliffs during the drive would give me a heart attack. He would have to drive while I lie in the back sucking my thumb in the fetal position. But it might work...

CaliOkie

Well, we made the move. We are now residents of Clovis, California (suburb of Fresno) in what is known as the central valley. That's right, this Oklahoma born-and-raised Sun Devil is now part of the nickel-nickel-nine. Although I'm told Fresno is as "midwest" as you get in California, I have seen lots of differences that we've never encountered in Oklahoma or Arizona. First, "clean air vehicles" have their own parking spaces, right up there as close as handicapped spots. And they love U-turns. Seriously, they're everywhere. In several places, it's the only way to get where you want to go. And of course, produce is a big deal here in Fresno. There are farmers markets just about every day somewhere in the city, some of which are more like weekly block parties. The food? Ahhh-mazing. There's a larger variety of fruits and vegetables out here than I've ever seen before, especially "hybrid" fruits. And the organic section at the grocery store is about half of the whole produce area. And is it me or is "organic" not quite as expensive as it was in Oklahoma?
I think we'll enjoy our time here, but I've already told the hubby I definitely think this area is temporary for us. He says I should calm down since we've only been here a week. Why do I feel this way? Well, it's Fresno. It's been recommended by several people to stay away from (what feels like) two-thirds of the city. Woodward Park? Gorgeous, but don't go there after dark. Especially on the weekends. South of Shaw Ave is to be avoided. In Phoenix and Tulsa, downtown is the place to go. It's rich in culture and entertainment. Here? We're told "there's never a reason to go downtown." Well, that's disappointing.
That being said, we love love LOVE the community we moved into. With all it has to offer, it makes up for the less-than-stellar reviews of Fresno. It's like our own little oasis in the desert. And there's the mountains; Yosemite, King's Canyon and Sequoia national parks all a relatively short drive away. So we'll dive into the Clovis culture, take advantage of all the outdoor activities and travel to see all California has to offer while we're here. Let our California Adventure begin!

Focus

Here's a secret about myself: I will let one negative critique keep me down. It doesn't matter how many positives I hear, I tend to focus just on the negative. There is one negative critique that happened years ago that I allow to continue to following me around in my mind. I have let it develop into a fear of rejection, and to this day it is can haunt my dreams. WHY?!? Why do I allow it to fester? Why can I not let it go?

Getting back up after being knocked down is easier said than done. That wound becomes tender again, but it doesn't mean we should start picking at it to relive the pain. Keep the helpful critique but drop the negativity. Dealing with one bad apple does not destine you to a life of spoiled fruit. It seems I made it worse by giving up. I never had a chance to redeem myself, prove the haters wrong and find appreciation. It's long overdue. Getting back on the horse is scary, but sometimes it's the only way to put the past behind you.

Oil Infusion - Part 1

A few weeks ago while vacationing in Panama City Beach, we came across this delightfully tasty store called Emerald Coast Olive Oil Co., specializing in high quality flavored and unflavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Everything was available for taste testing, and boy were they good! All flavors can be found and purchased on their website:

Me being the adventurer of creativity that I am started wondering "Could I make some of these at home?" Some, yes. Others should be left to the professionals (no clue how to infuse butter into the oil). But in the mean time, here's what I've done and what I've learned.

I started with a trip to Hobby Lobby and purchased some bottles perfect for oils. I also found a great variety on specialtybottle.com that I may try the next time around. This obviously isn't  necessary, but they sure do look cute with a little ribbon around the neck for homemade Christmas gifts (wink, wink).

I looked up a few general recipes and found there are two schools of thought for oil infusion: the slow, week-long process or the short, heat-the-oil-and-bada-bing-bada-boom-you're-done method. Both seem to work, but I liked the idea of a gradual approach better.

I decided on three flavors to try first: lime (our favorite at the store), rosemary, and chipotle. I've never been a stickler for measurements, so I just went to town and "eyeballed" my ingredient ratios. For the lime, I used long slivers of lime zest from two small limes for about 7 ounces of olive oil. Two big sprigs of rosemary were used in the next. After a little over a week, I strained and re-bottled both infusions and they came out GREAT, especially the rosemary. The lime flavor was definitely there, but I may play around with it to get a little more kick.

The chipotle was disappointing, but from my own doing. I didn't use fresh ingredients. I just used dried chipotle seasoning (quite a bit of it, might I add), but little to no flavor has been added so far. I'll play around with this one, since this was another one the husband and I both enjoyed.

More info to come! I have more flavor ideas and I'm excited to tackle other infusible ingredients, especially white balsamic vinegar and some liquors such as bourbon (Southern Living Magazine had some great ideas in one of their issues last fall).

Personalized Touches

We're currently renting a house, which of course has its ups and downs. If something breaks, we don't have to pay to fix it. But our hands are relatively tied when it comes to decorating and revamping an area, which drives me nuts!! However, this does require creative improv and thinking outside the box. One easy way of making this space our own? Wall hangings! My daughter was given her name in nice wooden letters when she was born (Hobby Lobby), but the color combination didn't match well with the new drapes in her room. So I pulled out my big book of craft/scrapbooking paper (again, Hobby Lobby), a big vat of Mod Podge and went to town. This is going to look great in her room, especially since the high ceilings and plain off white walls are in dire need of a personal touch (not to mention a fresh coat of paint... But I'll take what I can get). Cheers!

Salt Block Watermelon

Seriously, why did I take me this long to realize this? During the summer, we constantly have watermelon in the fridge, and the hubby always salts his watermelon. Well, tonight I was looking around for salt block cooking recipes when it hit me: chop the watermelon on the salt block! So I pulled the block out of the freezer, got to chopping, and holymotherofgod it was good. I need to be using this salt block much more often than I am.