Blueberry Picking - Summer 2012

My son and I spent the morning at two great places on Independence Day. The first stop I'll share on this post, which was our visit to the Temecula Berry Co.  The second stop I will share my own experience at one of "Temecula's hidden treasures." My friend posted her article to my blog that published on July 4th on this treasure: Buena Loma Gardens. 


The weather could not be any better! I think it was in the low 80s. That's pretty unheard of in this area at this time of the year. 


I have to admit I hadn't been to the farm this season at all until I realized that their season was ending within a few days. Blueberry season is short - early May through early July. The Temecula Berry Co. family is lovely and they do a lot of community events at their farm like movie night on Friday evenings and reading books to small children in the mornings twice a week.


In an unfortunate accident right before the start of their blueberry season, Farmer Mike lost his wife in a tragic tractor accident. It brought a lot of grief but the local community really reached out to them in their time of need. They felt the love and support of their neighbors. When my son and I decided to go to the farm on July 4th we had learned that one of their good friends had just lost his wife. All the proceeds of the day's sales would benefit this family. I love the way people open their hearts and help one another - that's the definition of a true community.


Since this was our first time visiting the farm this season, we saw that they had added a chicken coop and even had more areas with shade to sit in and retreat from the sun. Farmer Mike's dad, Ray, puts on a show at 3p daily for the kids to learn more about the hens. They lay a lot of eggs but they do not sell them to the public. Perhaps this will be something they will do next year?! 


My son and I had a blast picking the blueberries and since it was the end of the season, they weren't hard to find! There was an abundance of blueberries. We ended up with a pint and a half. The pints sell for $5 each. My son ate the 1/2 pint within 10 minutes of leaving the farm. 


I plan to make blueberry pancakes with the fresh berries.  Did you know that Bisquick makes a whole wheat Complete mix? Guess what? There are no hydrogenated oils in the mix! 


Here are some images from our visit: 

The one lane road getting in (or leaving). Very steep!

Turns into two lanes. See the farm down below? 

Yummy blueberries!

My son picking berries for us to enjoy later. 

The chicken coop is in the red barn behind my son.

Buena Loma Gardens: A Hidden Treasure in Temecula, Ca

This week is Support Small (& Local) Businesses Week (July 1-7) and I have a special place to share with you by way of my friend who visited Buena Loma Gardens for the first time just a couple weeks ago.  She has given me permission to share her story with you. 

About 2 weeks ago I packed up the kids for a hike to the Santa Margarita Trail in Fallbrook, Ca.  I had a general idea of where I was going but was relying on my cell phone for directions.  As luck would have it, I missed a turn and found myself in a rural part of town with no cell reception.  I was getting ready to turn back when I spotted a sign for Buena Loma Farms.  I was intrigued by what I might find so I followed the signs to a small stand on the side of the road.  Actually, it was the home of Charlie and Elvie Colabella.

Immediately, Charlie came out to greet us and had us sampling fruit.  We had the sweetest oranges and the most delicious grapefruit, apples and blood oranges.  We also tried sweet Gloria Gold limes which Elvie called 'magic' lemons.  I think she called them magic because they looked like lemons but actually had a mild taste without the tartness of a regular lemon.  

Charlie and his wife, Elvie eagerly gave us a tour of the gardens.   We saw the many varieties of fruits and vegetables that were growing on the farm.  The kids were also allowed to help Charlie pick blackberries, while I hand selected kale straight from the garden.  

Charlie and Elvie developed the land over 16 years ago and just one month ago started selling to the public.  All their fruits and vegetables are organically grown, using a homemade fertilizer and are hand cultivated.   Charlie has a special interest in educating the public on home gardening and composting.  

We eventually made it to the Santa Margarita Trail, but the best part of the day was discovering Buena Loma Gardens, meeting Charlie and Elvie and tasting some wonderful produce.

If you visit in the next few weeks you will be treated to eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, melons, Italian heirloom squash (known as Marianna Di Chioggia), kabocha squash, apples, persian mulberries and figs.  Personally, I’ll be back in about a week for the Persian mulberries.  

Since my last visit, Elvie has created a picnic seating area for visitors to sit and enjoy the serenity of the gardens.  Visitors are also welcome to bring their own picnic lunches.

Buena Loma Gardens is a 20 minute drive from Rancho California and the 15 Freeway in Temecula.   They are located at: 45485 Buena Loma Road, Temecula, CA 92590.  Their summer hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday or otherwise by special arrangement.  If you have any questions, you may contact Elvie at egcolabella@verizon.net or at (951) 694-5328.   ~ Elisa DeCristo, Murrieta, CA

When you stop in be sure to tell Charlie and Elvie that you learned about them through Conveying Awareness. This helps them know that their efforts at networking are reaching many.  Thank you!


Update on 7/6/12: I, Jessica with Conveying Awareness, visited Buena Loma Gardens on the 4th of July and I will be blogging about my experience and some recipes that Elvie shared with me that I made the days following my visit.  

Remember: Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Saying Goodbye

Early this morning (12:30a), I said goodbye to our family pet. He passed peacefully on his own after breathing difficulties surfaced along with a lack of appetite which had developed suddenly. He was diagnosed with lymphoma. His name is Boodie and he was shy of his 16th year by 2.5 months. He was a well taken care of, loved, and adored cat. He was easy going and he brought many smiles to our faces. He will be greatly missed.


RIP Boodie "Toodie" David: 9/16/1996 - 6/28/2012

April 2012

My take on fish tacos

I really wanted to make vegetable stuffed tacos but couldn't find any recipes without having to scour the internet for any longer than a half hour. In my search, I found a recipe for fish tacos. 


I changed the recipe a bit as any chef, I mean, in training culinary artist, would do, right? 


You can grill the fish or bake it according to the recipe. I cooked mine on the stove top. It cooked well and tasted great. Everything came out good but the next time I will definitely add a little heat (spice). 


Marinade (Marinate for 6-8 hours)

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey (I have a raw avocado flower infused honey that I used for this recipe.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™ (I omitted due to added sodium.)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fresh pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste (Left it out due to comments stating it was TOO hot!)
• 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks
•  
• Dressing
• 1 (8 ounce) container light sour cream
• 1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipotle peppers (I had adobo seasoning salt. Couldn't find the sauce.)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay™ (Omitted here too.)
• salt and pepper to taste
•  
• Toppings
• 1 (10 ounce) package tortillas (I used tomato basil tortillas. The only kind I found without *yucky stuff.)
• 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 small head cabbage, cored and shredded
• 2 limes, cut in wedges
• 
  

* yucky stuff = hydrogenated oils

My son likes to help. It gets a tad messy at times but that doesn't change the taste! 

Choose, eat, and live well! =)

The best since sliced bread

A friend of mine posted a link to her Facebook on ways to incorporate protein powder into recipes that are not smoothie based. 


This morning I tried the Cinnamazing Pancakes but they were an epic fail (see the link below for other recipes using protein powder). The batter smelled so yummy and they appeared to have cooked properly but the middle was straight up raw. Gag! The whole batch went into the trash can. 


So, I tried my hand at the All American Toast and voila! Perfetto!! (Do you like my French and Italian?!) 


Ingredients:
1 Scoop of Vanilla Complete protein powder by Juice Plus+ (substitute your favorite protein powder)
4 slices of Grandpa's Oven Cinnamon Swirl Bread (or add cinnamon to the mix for use on plain bread)
1/2 cup of egg whites
1/4 cup of milk
1 banana (sliced)
All natural maple syrup


Cook both sides about 2-3 minutes. Top with syrup (to taste) and sprinkle with sliced bananas. 


I think I've found the next best thing since sliced bread. It is truly a fabulous dessert... Oops, I mean breakfast! Seriously though, I think it could pass for a dessert. Add a dollop of fresh whipped cream (make your own, avoid the store bought kind unless free of hydrogenated oils and artificial colors or other artificial sweeteners) instead of the syrup for a dessert and top with your favorite sliced fruit - strawberries, bananas or even fresh blueberries! 


Choose, eat, and live well! =) 

Tricolor Pasta and LOTS of Veggies!

I don’t mean to brag much …but woohoo did I create something delicious in the kitchen today!! My son asked for some pasta for lunch.  Immediately I felt inspired when I saw a bag of frozen roasted bell peppers and onions.

I threw them into a sauce pan with a little EVOO and basil. I boiled water for  tri-color rotini while I shredded a carrot and ½ of a zucchini. This was tossed into the sauce pan with the onions and peppers. I continued to cook it on low heat with a cover while the pasta boiled. I had some leftover three cheese spaghetti sauce from Trader Joe’s.  I tossed the pasta with the vegetables and spaghetti sauce. 

The end dish resulted in asking for seconds. It packed lots of flavor and my personal favorite is the addition of more vegetables. 

What are some ways you are incorporating more fruits or vegetables into your dishes?

Carrot Cake Cookies - Revised Recipe

One of the great things about blogging for me is that I become fearless in the kitchen because I can’t wait to post an awesome recipe I found on Pinterest (or from a LinkedIn Wellness Group or from Twitter). I am trying to remember where I found the following recipe initially. I am almost positive it was on Pinterest!  (If you're interested, you can follow me on Pinterest and Twitter as ConveyAwareness.)

I made Carrot Cake Cookies. I have changed the recipe a bit from the original due to some ingredient inconsistencies I found. (I commented on the author’s recipe so she is aware.) When I found the recipe I saw that it called for honey. I like local raw honey over store bought (it has healing properties and the taste is better). I needed to wait for the farmer’s market so I picked up some more from the Temecula Valley Honey Company and purchased the Mountain Sage flavor. (Next time I'm getting the Avocado flavor.) I am also slowly but surely getting away from using canola oil in my foods. I am replacing all canola oil with either coconut oil or unsweetened applesauce. Today I used the coconut oil.

Carrot Cake Cookies

Adapted from Skinny Scoop

1/3 cup of oil (I use coconut oil)

1/3 cup of honey (I use local raw honey)

3 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 egg

3 tablespoons of orange juice (find lowest sugar content possible - great tip Skinny Scoop!)

½ teaspoon of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

1 cup + 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour

½ cup oats

2/3 cup of shredded carrots

Vanilla Glaze (optional)

1 cup of confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ tablespoons of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon of lemon zest

½ teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, honey, and brown sugar.  Add the vanilla. When mixed well, add the egg and orange juice mixing for an additional 30 seconds. Add the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the flour and stir until absorbed.  Stir in the oats and mix.  Stir in the carrots and mix. (In the original recipe, she added toasted pecans. I opted out.)

Drop the cookies by the tablespoon onto parchment paper. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until lightly browned and no wet spot in the middle.

Let me tell you quickly about the inconsistencies. First, I am not a natural in the kitchen. I kind of have to figure things out by trial and error and I always have to read the recipe from start to finish.

The original recipe called for baking powder so that is what I used in the first two dozen. The cookies weren’t quite “cakey” - they had a dense texture but surprisingly they were moist. They had a great after taste but the initial taste was not too inviting. In the Skinny Scoop’s recipe, she calls for ingredients to make a cream cheese icing. I didn’t have any cream cheese on hand (plus I’m not a huge fan of it) so I looked up a quick vanilla glaze to use instead.

I decided to try the recipe again using baking soda. I am SO glad that I did! The cookies are moist and best of all CAKEY. There is no need for icing at all in this batch. I mean you can add it if you want but we chose not to.

All in all, it turned out to be a fruitful day in the kitchen.  I’m super happy about how the cookies taste with the use of the coconut oil in place of the other oil options. You ought to give my rendition of this recipe a try.

Buon Appetito!

These were made with baking powder. 

These were made with baking soda.