Fresno Farm Tour

July 9, 2012 By 12 Comments

I was treated to a tour of local farms in the Fresno, CA. area this past weekend and learned so much.  Did you know that blueberries are one of only three fruits that are native to the United States?  Can you name the other two?  The Berry Lady can.  She gave us a brief history lesson on blueberries and on how they are harvested packaged and shared her new strains with us as well.  Take a look at the Larry Berry it can grown up to the size of a nickel!

The Larry Berry from Berry Lady Farms

From there we ventured on to the Friesen Family Farms where we watched peaches and plums get packaged and shipped off to Costco’s all over the county.  If you see a case of peaches or plums at your local Costco and the number on the side of the box is 1945 you know it came handpicked from Friesen and will undoubtedly be amazing.  If the proof is in the drippings that were on the faces of all those eating them (I have previously tasted peaches and plums and don’t care for either) then you will be pleased as well, just check out the bright colors!

Nectarines and Plums at Friesen Family Farms

Our next stop was the Hudson Family Farm where Liz Hudson had a fresh homemade peach cobbler waiting for us.  She also introduced many of us to the Water Peach.  They were named as such because they are so juicy they are watery. Liz told us her mother referred to them as “sink peaches” because you had to stand over the sink to eat them so they didn’t drip everywhere!

Hudson Family Farm Peach Cobbler

The last stop on this amazing tour was to the Enzo Olive Oil packaging plant.  Unfortunately this is not olive season so we were simply given a walk through of the facility but the walk through was accompanied by a highly informative tutorial on the making of olive oil (video coming soon!). We were then treated to a yummy tasting and a take home prize bottle of our own and one for a lucky reader!

Amazing Olives being readied for processing
Photo Credit Gordon Smith

What’s the one thing all these different farms have in common?  They all need water to grow their crops.  Whether it be berry or stone fruit the outcome may be different but the intake is always water. Although we don’t feel drought down here in urban Southern California, the farming areas of Central California are being rationed with their water.  We saw the canals that allow the alotted amount of water a farm can use during a specific period of time.  Remember the days of the oil shortage (yes I am aging myself) and odd/even license plates had to get gas on certain days?  It is kind of like that.  Think about that next time you leave the water running while you go off and do something else, or aimlessly hose down your sidewalks and driveways simply because.  Water is not an endless supply, it is an amazing resource.

Now for the giveaway!  Follow the directions in the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 I was not compensated for this post.  Overnight accommodations, meals and travel between farms was provided by the California Farm Water Coalition and the Fresno County Farm Bureau.

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Every Day is a Dessert Kind of Day

May 31, 2012 By 2 Comments

Advertisement Thank you COOL WHIP for sponsoring this post. Join us on Facebook for inspiration and recipes for everyday treats. What you add makes it. #coolwhipmoms

I have been watching the twins every day 5 days a week for almost 2 months (maybe only 1 month but it feels like a year).  They have a pretty set routine while they are here.

7:30 Arrive and turn on Wild Kratts

8:00 remember they are at Grandma’s house where snacks are plentiful and decide they are hungry

8:30 finish their “breakfast” and decide on a snack from the drawer, usually dried fruit or a squeezie yogurt.

9:00 Sit completely still and watch Super Why with intermittent running up to the tv to point to a letter (I will never be able to get all of the finger prints off the screen).

9:30 Beg to go to the park

10:00 finally convince me to take them to the park (One day last week they didn’t want to go and I had to convince them LOL).

10:30 – 11:30 Play at the park with intermittent running back to the picnic table to see what snacks grandma packed for them.

12:00 home and lunch

12:30 – 2:30 NAP TIME!  YAAAAAAAY!

2:30 Madilyn is usually standing with the refrigerator door open looking for what berries are in there.  usually there are only strawberries, but recently I received Blueberries and blackberries in my farm box so I gave them some. Madilyn liked them all and easily settles in to enjoy her afternoon dessert.  Matthew not so much.  What was this foreign food I was putting on his plate?  Where were his normal sliced up strawberries?  Who moved his cheese?!  Grandma to the rescue with a dollop of COOL WHIP whipped topping and he now thinks blackberries are the best thing in the world!

Before

After

4:00 Grandma’s nerves end up on the frazzled side and I threaten to set the kids on the curb and hope someone who loves them will pick them up – SOON!

5:00 They are rescued from the clutches of grandma with the promise of all of this happening again tomorrow.  Maybe not the COOL WHIP part because it is quite possible grandma has now eaten all of it straight from the tub.

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.

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Summer Trifle

May 29, 2012 By 7 Comments

I try to make this at least once each summer.  It is simple and can be modified using almost any fruit you want.

I buy the big Sara Lee frozen pound cake and let it defrost.  Cut it into 4 long slices and then cut the short slices from there to make rectangular cubes.  You can cut it any way you please.

I like using strawberries and blueberries because those are the preferred fruits in our house.  But you can use any berry or other fruit really (not apples, they don’t hold up too well – trust me).

I like making whipped cream, it is about the easiest thing to make – if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer.  1 pint of heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Beat on high until stiff peaks form and voila you’re done.  Cool Whip works just as well.

Make your layers.  Pound cake (or angel food if you wanna be a little healthier), strawberries (try to put some against the side for a pretty effect), blueberries and then whipped cream.  Keep layering until you reach the top and decorate the top with the remaining fruit.

I usually make two layers the night before let it sit in the fridge overnight and add the top layer just before serving.

Then the finished product receives cheers when you bring it out to the hungry eaters!

 

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