If you don’t like soft, buttery beets, chances are you’ve haven’t had them the way they’re meant to be eaten.

On a need it now night, we steam them. If we have a spare hour and a half (which these days we do), roasting them to bring out their sweet flavor is much better.

If someone’s offering a roasted beet salad, we’re trying it. I think the first place we shared one was at Pinot Provence before a ballet in Costa Mesa, but we’ve also enjoyed them all over the state. Perhaps it’s because beets are so easy to grow – we start ours by seed; $1.69 for a packet of about 100 beets beats $3.49/lb. at Whole Foods any day.

We enjoy beet salads of all sorts. A formal recipe is below, but we basically stick to the following: 1 beet per person + handful of any leafy green + any one of our homemade vinaigrettes + citrus if we have it + chevre + some sort of nut.

Please: Don’t ever touch the canned stuff. [K]

Click here to view a printable version of this recipe.

Roasted Beets with Tangerine, Spinach and Chevre

~

~ Serves ~

4

~ Ingredients ~

• 4 medium to large beets (red and/or orange)
• 4 oz. chevre
• ¼ cup hazelnut
• ¼ cup pistachio
• 1 cup packed spinach leaves
• 3 tangerines
• ¼ cup vinaigrette dressing

~ Preparation ~

Preparation Time: 2 hours

1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Scrub beets clean and wrap in one foil packet for each color. Roast in oven for 90 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare red wine vinaigrette dressing (see next page).
3. In a small blender (or by hand), chop up hazelnut and pistachio; set aside in prep. bowl.
4. Divide chevre into four equal-sized balls and shape into round discs. Coat with hazelnut / pistachio mixture and set on plate. Refrigerate until ready to heat.
5. When beets are roasted, take them out to cool. Place chevre balls on small baking sheet lined with parchment paper and heat in oven for 8 minutes.
6. While chevre is warming, toss spinach and tangerines in ¼ cup red wine vinaigrette dressing; then plate on one side of each of the 4 salad plates.
7. When beets are cool, slice beets to create ¼-inch to ½-inch discs. Lay them out on empty side of plate.
8. When chevre is warmed, remove from oven, and place one ball on each plate. Serve immediately.

Source: Rustic Garden Bistro

Nutrition content per serving: 190 calories, 15g carbs, 6g protein, 12g fat, 3g fiber

Cost per serving: $1.18

Are you willing to try roasted beets?

Aqua Utilities plans to install 2,000 feet of new water mains along Huron St, Scott Ave, Section St, Pine St and Orange Blossom Trail. This project will start in January 2010 and should be finished by the end of February 2010.  They are also applying for a “sequestration” permit to treat water by removing calcium and manganese which is naturally present in “hard” water. Anyone with questions is urged to call 352-435-4043.

Citrus Limon - lemon

It’s hard to limit  essential oils to such a small number since there are literally well over 100+ to select from.  If you are just starting out and want to limit your initial investment you can get started with 10 basic oils which make a great introduction to the world of aromatherapy.   Aromatherapy is the art of using select essential oils from plants & trees to both protect and enhance your health.  It’s fun to experiment and make your own “DIY” recipes.

Chamomile, Clove, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea Tree & Thyme are great to start with.   Ylang-Ylang is another oil that frequently appears on top 10 lists.  Remember, the best essential oils are made from natural – preferably organic sources.  Synthetic or adulterated oils do not duplicate the therapeutic abilities of pure essential oils derived from extracts of plants, trees and flowers.  I’ve used oils that are synthetic or adulterated and believe me, you can tell the difference between the real deal.  Save your money and don’t settle for inferior oils as the results will not be the same.

Of course, you will quickly find your own favorites as you start to experiment with different oils and their various benefits.   I also love all of the citrus oils like Bergamot, Sweet Orange & Tangerine – to name a few.  For example, I put a few drops of each of the citrus oils on a cotton ball and throw it into my vacuum cleaner.  Infuses the whole house with a cheerful and fresh uplifting scent.  I’ve also used Lavender directly on my skin when I’ve had a minor burn.  It really does seem to help the area heal more quickly. And when I need a quick “wake me up” and don’t want caffeine,  I use Rosemary and Peppermint oils.  I simply apply the oils to a tissue and inhale.  Guaranteed to give you a jump start and help with concentration.  I’ve even had one of my friends who was feeling a little blue inhale Rosemary while we were talking and she started to feel the effects before she left.  I’m not saying we fixed her ”blues” just by inhaling a few drops of Rosemary essential oil, but it certainly helped her feel better termporarily and she didn’t have to take a pill to “get happy”.  Listen, if you have a serious depression that won’t go away, seek medical help.  Don’t fool around because it’s better to deal with depression sooner than later. Aromatherapy is a wonderful solution for temporary blues that are related to increased stress levels like holidays or heavier than normal work or school loads.

There are a multitude of recipes you can make using your ten basic oils. For more detailed information on aromatherapy and essential oils visit your local library or book store.  Many of these publications also have great resource sections in the back of the book which can be quite helpful in furthering your own research.

Enjoy!

To your health-

Pam Tirado, Organic Skin Care Tips+, Luminoso Salon & Spa

According to its website, some significant changes have been made in the Stoneybrook HOA.  It appears the new policies are wide-ranging and well-designed. Hopefully SBH will be able to recover from the problems of the last year or so.

• On November 19th, [2009] the receivership requested by SBH HOA was granted in Orange County Court to allow for the collection of rent from foreclosure tenants in Stoneybrook Hills that occupy homes that are in arrears for HOA assessments
• Amendments to documents that drafted by Lennar are now official. This is paramount to Stoneybrook’s recovery. Unauthorized real estate sign have been removed.  Lawns of foreclosed properties are being maintained
• Thirty-four new homes are projected for 2010
• Aggressive enforcement of HOA assessments is now policy. Liens will be filed, cards deactivated and cable turned off.  Payment plans can be arranged if necessary.
• An assessment of about $400.00 included in the final sale price placed on any existing home sold in SBH to help offset the deficit
• The guardhouse will be staffed 24/7 and guests will need to provide identification
• The basketball courts are an ongoing issue. It is to access them from the Publix parking lot and residents were advised the HOA that their concern is mainly when management is not here. People are trespassing into the community and taking over the courts playing loud music at night. Residents have been asked to challenge non-residents for court usage
• Draconian changes to the section on rental homes was necessitated by the problems that the presence of rental homes causes to the sale of new homes

msnbc photo from Red Cross website

This information was compiled using the “Creative Impulse” newsletter & the American Red Cross website.

Do…

• Sign all cards
• Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”
• Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
• Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes (there is no need to include individual envelopes and postage for cards)

Don’t…

• Send letters
• Include personal information such as home or email addresses
• Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
• Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country.

Please spread the word using your social networks and use the hashtag #holidaymail to help the organizers keep track of the information being shared.

Aromatherapy Candles- Lavender, Lemongrass & Orange, Tangerine & Lavender- made with 100% pure essential oils – 72 hr. total burn time Review

Check Price Now!

These candles smell nice and make the whole room scented. However, I don’t think the burn time is as long as advertised.

The lavender one has the best scent, in my opinion. The other ones are very citrus-y though, and make your house smell clean. They burn clean as well.

Good product but a tad overpriced.

Aromatherapy Candles- Lavender, Lemongrass & Orange, Tangerine & Lavender- made with 100% pure essential oils – 72 hr. total burn time Feature

• Lavender is one of the most versatile and highly regarded essential oils. Known for its calming and healing benefits, it has a pure aroma that is floral yet herbal. Color – Periwinkle
• Refreshing and energizing, Lemongrass and Orange promotes inspiration, clears the mind and brings fresh energy. Color – Lemon
• Lavender is one of the most calming essential oils. In combination with soothing Tangerine, this is a peaceful aroma to reduce stress. Color – Tangerine
• Comes in attractive tin.
• Made with Essential Oils, no sythetic fragrance oils

Aromatherapy Candles- Lavender, Lemongrass & Orange, Tangerine & Lavender- made with 100% pure essential oils – 72 hr. total burn time Overview

Our Aromatherapy Candles are made with a blend of Candelilla, Carnauba, Bayberry and Soy waxes. This plant-based combination provides a cleaner burning candle and delivers a better performance than all soy based candles. We use all cotton wicks and 100% pure Essential Oils to provide an Aromatherapy benefit, entering your body by inhalation. Our candles are synthetic free and contain no petrochemicals. An environmentally safe choice.

Aromatherapy Candles- Lavender, Lemongrass & Orange, Tangerine & Lavender- made with 100% pure essential oils – 72 hr. total burn time Specifications

Plantlife

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Nov 26, 2009 11:55:20

Junk – J. Dunne –
If you are interested in wasting money – this is the product. Tiny candles that give off about 2 hours burn time.
Wonderful! – Kelly Byrd – mosul, Iraq
Its wonderful to have such amazing scents that remind me of home while in iraq…Eucalyptus/peppermint and tangerine/lavender are my favorite…and they shipped overseas in only 10 days…Definately the Best and most natural smelling candles Ive ever had..Very relaxing!

32inch lcd hdtv

A coyote was spotted on Oak Street in Tangerine tonight. Please bring in your cats and dogs so it concentrates on vermin prey. There is a also a fox that lives on Lake Ola Drive towards Earlwood. He can be seen coming out at dusk. Foxes and coyotes are native to Northwest  Orange County. Most likely Stoneybrook most likely has its share of wild predators due to the rural nature of the development.

00375.0000 TANGERINE
Words: Johnny Mercer
Music: Victor Schertzinger

Lyrics and Chords Link
Nat King Cole Performance

Tangerine, she is all they claim-
With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame.
Tangerine, when she dances by,
Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh.
And I’ve seen toasts to Tangerine raised in every bar
Across the Argentine. Yes, she has them all on the run,
But her heart belongs to just one,
Her heart belongs to Tangerine.

If you are in Chennai on a lazy weekend and want to try some Mexican cuisines, Tangerine is one of the options. Not sure how “Tangerine” relates to Mexican Food but you will find a decent environment and good food that fits well within your budget. You may have to wait for some time but the patience is well worth it.

THE FOOD

As the tag line suggests, sizzlers are their forte and you will also find Indianized version of sizzlers e.g. Paneer Tikka Sizzler. They also have a few verities of pastas. Being vegetarian, trying meat, eggs and sea food is out of the question. We ordered “Paneer And Corn Cutlet Sizzler” – a smoked cutlet made of Paneer and Corn served with tangy cheese garlic sauce, sautéed vegetables and skinned mashed potato.

The very aroma of smoked cutlet was enticing. Serving size is good for an adult. Cheesy sauce gave the food bit of an Italian touch but it tasted good

Compared to the verity of sizzlers, beverages were little disappointing. Also, they don’t seem to have permit for serving alcoholic beverages. Non availability of beer was a major turn off!

THE AMBIANCE

The place is an air conditioned ground floor with a seating capacity of ~40 people. Overall interior is good enough (i.e. nothing great). We had to stand near the entrance because of non availability of waiting area. Paintings on the wall were mediocre and didn’t gel with rest of the interior. Music played at restaurant was rather annoying because of inconsistency

COURTESY

The staff was mostly friendly and courteous but at the same time forgetful and often slow. They could have served the sizzlers with knife and fork instead of fork and spoon. The guard at Parking kept following me till I paid him tips for getting my bike parked!! :O

SUMMARY

A good value for money place to visit for decent Mexican food if you are ready to overlook the rest!

OUR RATING

Out of 10 – 10 being Outstanding

Criteria	Ratings
Quality and taste	8
Appearance / presentation of food	6
Ambiance	5
Courtesy	4
Verity / food options	7
Beverages served	5
Value for money	8
Parking facility	4
Perks	4
Overall Satisfaction	7 (likely to visit again

Feeling a little stressed out yet?  The holidays are here and about to get in to full swing which means more demands on your already limited available time.  Holidays can also lead to increased stress including anxiety, tension even depression as we all try to do too much in a short amount of time.

Stress is a serious problem and we all have a certain amount of stress that just is a part of life from our everyday events.  Everyday stresses most of us can cope with.  Add holidays, increased demands of family, friends and business and it can easily become a recipe for full-blown panic attacks.  And stress can lead to more health problems like high blood pressure and a lowered immune system.  Severe stress can be so debilitating that you lapse into full blown depression. 

The ideal solution is of course to try to eliminate the underlying cause of stress.  Sometimes that is easier said than done, however there are a few things we can do to help restore balance and calm brought on by temporary increased stresses like the holidays.  Take a deep breath and  relax.  Aromatherapy offers great natural stress relief and you can experiment with different essential oils until you find the one that is right for you.  Once you experiment with one or two oils, you may find that blending oils can provide an enhanced synergistic effect.

Roman chamomile, clary sage, everlasting, fennel, frankincense, geranium, lavender, marjoram, melissa, neroli, orange, rose, sandalwood, tangerine, vanilla, vetiver and ylang-ylang are oils that are known for their abilities to counteract the effects of daily stress. 

Try diluting your oils with a carrier oil like Sweet Almond or Jojoba and use in a massage.   Massage offers one of the most effective ways to alleviate symptoms brought on by stress.  Massage promotes relaxation and it actually causes your body to release endorphins.  Endorphins are both natural painkillers and increase your sense of pleasure. You can also diffuse your oils into the environment to release tension and anxiety or try adding a few drops of your favorite oils to your bath to create a soothing aromatic experience.   You can add one or two drops to a cool light bulb (never hot as this could cause the bulb to explode) or to warm candle wax (not while candle is burning).  Personally, I like to add a few drops of oil to a tissue and simply inhale.  It’s completely portable, discreet and easy to use.  Plus many essential oils also provide anti-viral and anti-bacterial support.

Remember, essential oils are generally not recommended for internal use unless you are working directly with a certified medical professional.  Essential oils are highly concentrated and although organic in nature, can be toxic if misused.   There are certain conditions that should avoid the use of essential oils.  If you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, have high blood pressure or suffer from epilepsy, consult your physician or medical care provider before using any essential oils. Do not use essential oils direct on skin without first testing for sensitivity as some oils like clove, cinnamon and peppermint to name just a few, can cause itching and skin irritations. Some oils like neroli, or orange (and there are quite a few essential oils that can cause photo sensitivity) can also cause increased sensitivity to sunburn.  Try to limit your sun exposure when working with these and other photo sensitive essential oils to prevent  damage to your skin.

So when you are out shopping for your family or business associates don’t forget to add a few things to your shopping list for yourself.  In fact, you may want to share!  Essential oils are wonderful and offer natural stress relief.  Essential oils range in price from just a few dollars to well, a bit more depending on the oil like neroli, rose and sandalwood. For example, it takes over 2000 pounds of rose petals to make one pound of rose oil and sandalwood trees must be 30 years old before the wood is sufficiently matured to yield essential oils. 

The finest essential oils are natural, organic essential oils.  If possible, try to limit your oils to certified organic.  Synthetic or adulterated oils can not duplicate the therapeutic abilities of pure extracts gathered from plants, trees and flowers.  If you are on a budget (and just about everyone I know is these days) start with just one or two oils and build your aromatherapy cabinet.  You can buy essential oils from reputable health food stores and also from on-line ecommerce retailers.  Personally, I like to buy direct from local sources when possible but I have also found a few vendors online that are good sources and have money back guarantees.  Do your homework and check prices.  Essential oils, when stored properly (away from direct sunlight in a cool dark area, in a tightly closed bottle – amber glass is the best) will last for years.

To your health and a stress free holiday season!

Pam Tirado, Organic Skin Care Tips, Luminoso Salon & Spa

Follow me on Twitter: “SkinCarePam” for daily tips

This article was taken in its original form from the Orlando Sentinel because the link will eventually expire. Please go to the original article to see the feedback and to show support for such a succinct environmental writer.  Water is a huge growth issue in Florida and I think we should follow and support Jane Healy’s efforts. Certainly availability of water will be a factor in attempts to expand the Stoneybrook area with a “village.” Let me know what you think.

Anyone who thinks that Florida is getting better when it comes to addressing growth problems might want to think again. On two fronts, things are now looking worse.

How we are being bamboozled, Part 1.

A few years ago, Florida started talking a good game on conserving water. Hurrah. After all, the aquifer doesn’t have enough water to accommodate much more population growth. And once that underground source is exhausted, utilities will have to start treating water from rivers like the St. Johns or building desalination plants for ocean water.

Even people unconcerned about the environmental effects of drawing from those surface waters — like depleting the river’s wildlife — surely will care about their own depleted pocketbook. With those new systems, the cost of water would be several times higher than it is now.

Suddenly all that doesn’t seem important to those governing us. The South Florida Water Management District just decided that many of its residents can water their lawns as much as three times a week, though a year ago residents watered just weekly. And their lawns did just fine, thank you.

Why the change of heart? Well, the utilities found that the conservation was working too well — that the demand for water dropped significantly. So now the utilities’ short-term bottom line has somehow become more important than long-term conservation.

Is this nuts or what? This is the same thing that happened with electric utilities. Those with a lot of capacity like Orlando Utilities Commission were slow to push conservation because they wanted to push the sale of their electricity instead. The result is that electric bills were far higher than they needed to be. And who knows how many power plants were built to accommodate all this demand?

But that’s not the only sleight of hand underway. Legislators in the spring gave water-district executive directors — rather than the governing board — the power to approve permits sought by developers or other businesses.

The whole thing blew up last month when St. Johns director Kirby Green approved a permit to pump almost 500,000 gallons a day from the aquifer for bottled water. Though this was a hugely controversial issue, the public was not allowed to appeal this to the board.

This is progress?

How we are being bamboozled, Part 2.

When the Legislature this year changed the law so that urban areas didn’t have to have roads in place before allowing growth, it promised that the state also would come up with a new “mobility fee” that would pay for transportation. The fee sounded like progress, didn’t it?

Well, its recommendation is due by Dec. 1, and it’s anyone’s guess whether something good will come of it. One concern is that the commission will suggest a new impact fee, which is now assessed locally on new construction to offset the added cars on the road. But if that is the new statewide plan, how do counties ever make up for the backlog of jammed roads, something that actually was addressed before the law changed?

Besides that, does anyone really think the Legislature will approve an impact fee — which builders hate — in an election year? Already the assault has begun. Jim Cooper, the head of metro Orlando’s Home Builders Association, seems to be leading it, arguing that impact fees have increased housing costs without solving the transportation problem.

No, but it has solved some of it. A good mobility fee can solve the rest.

You can contact Jane Healy at janehealy49@gmail.com. She’d like to hear about public officials who need their feet kept to the fire.

Texas Tangerine, she is all they claim...

We lucky Austinites can purchase Orange Blossom Farms fragrant organic tangerines at both the Austin Farmers Market and Sunset Valley Farmers Market.  Texas citrus season is NOW (although my own mandarin tree, laden in its fourth year with at least 50 fruits, is still transforming green globes into the orange of winter’s gold) and I’m sure you’ve already been enjoying Texas ruby red grapefruit (Rio Star) and the Lone Star state’s sweet juicing oranges.  Grab yourself a $5 bag of Texas tangerines and a pack of chicken legs from one of our local and sustainable operations and whip up some Chinese-style comfort food.

TANGY TEXAS TANGERINE CHICKEN serves several

• about 1½ pounds chicken leg quarters, separated, or thighs, from local producers at our farmers markets
  
• 2 Tablespoons neutral flavored high smoke point oil.  I like Spectrum’s organic peanut oil available at Whole Foods.
• 1 large local green onion, finely chopped, white and light green parts separated from the dark green parts.  Hairston Creek Farm has been selling lovely long-leafed scallions.
  
• 3 strips of organic Texas tangerine peel, about 3″ long, white pith removed (use a sharp paring knife held parallel to the counter), minced
• 3 or more dried red Chinese chile peppers
• ½ teaspoon ground, roasted Szechuan peppercorns.  You can buy these, whole and untoasted, in bulk at Central Market.  Substitute fresh cracked black pepper if necessary.
  
• ¼ teaspoon ground dried ginger
  
• 1 cup fresh-squeezed organic Texas tangerine juice
• ½ cup broth, preferably homemade unsalted.  See Stock Tips.
  
• ¼ cup bitter (Seville) orange marmalade
• 2 Tablespoons organic white wine vinegar.  I use Spectrum.
  
• 1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons organic soy sauce.  I like Eden or San-J.
• 1 teaspoon organic toasted sesame oil (Spectrum again) or a generous teaspoon of best-quality butter–Organic Valley or Lucky Layla (from Texas)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon cold broth

Heat up a large heavy skillet over highest heat.  When it’s good and pipin’ hot, add your oil, swirl it around and lay in your chicken pieces, skin side down.  Brown well on both sides, then remove chicken to a plate and set aside.  Pour off all but a Tablespoon or so of the fat in the pan (reserve this flavorful grease for stir-frying tofu or veggies) and put the pan back on the stove at medium-high heat.  Bloom your aromatics—scallion whites, tangerine peel and chiles—in the hot fat for a minute then stir in the powdered spices.  Add the next six ingredients (through the soy sauce), bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add back the chicken, skin side down, cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over once, until the meat tests done.  Remove chicken from the sauce and raise the heat to medium-high.  Stir up a slurry of the cornstarch and cold broth and stir it and the scallion greens into the simmering sauce.  It will thicken right away.  Stir in the sesame oil or butter.

Serve the chicken and sauce with hot Lowell Farms jasmine rice.  You can either set a chicken piece atop a mound of rice and nap it with the sauce or, as is my family’s preference, debone the chicken and mix it into the sauce, to be ladled over the rice.  Don’t forget to save the skin and bones for the stock pot!

November 2009 Exercise – Kate David-Hays, Caterer, Amuse Bouche Catering, Marblehead, MA

Tuna crudo with a tangerine garlic soy and balsamic with an arugula salad

Classic Steak Tar Tar with a hint of Vanilla and Garlic toasts 

To participate in the next exercise, please send an e mail to: jeffrey@bauscherinc.com

See all your favorite chefs’ collections of past submissions at Deep Plate page on Facebook.  Please become a “Fan”. 

http://deepplate.wordpress.com and “Deep Plate” on Facebook

Rutabegorz in Tustin has this healthy eating thing down. True to their promise, their food is pretty good, too. And, they’re located right in the heart of Old Town. If they didn’t serve dinner, we’d probably ask to sublease some dinner space for our restaurant.

At the RGB, we try to eat healthy. It helps when homegrown edibles are staring us in the face. November here usually means… tangerine juice, tangerine salad, tangerine-glazed chicken, tangerine-soy Chilean sea bass and tangerine mojitos.  Sensing a theme here? Hey, at least we won’t get scurvy.

Basket of tangerines.

Look at this color; who can resist this?!

Eating three of these babies will be more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. One with cereal for breakfast, one in a lunch salad, and one with an afternoon cheese snack, and you’re all set. Below, one of our typical lunch salads this season. Like Ruta’s, the homemade salad dressing is key. (Homemade salad dressing is actually quick and simple, and you won’t have to worry about ingesting high fructose corn syrup, xanthan gym, sulfur dioxide or some other idontknowhowtopronouncethisword ingredients.)

Salads are good for you. This one is full of vitamin C, will help you fight cancer, and eating lots will make you live longer. For us, they’re ’specially great for days we’re too lazy to roll downhill to Ruta’s.

Tangerine: 1, scurvy: 0. [K]  

Autumn Citrus Salad.

Click here to view a printable version of this recipe.

Autumn Citrus Salad

2007

~

~ Serves ~

2

~ Ingredients ~

• 4 cups garden greens
• 2 tangerines, peeled and seeded
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 2 oz. goat cheese
• ¼ cup candied walnuts
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
• ½ cup citrus vinaigrette dressing

~ Preparation ~

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1. Place garden greens, tangerines, cranberries, walnuts and red onion into salad bowl. Toss with dressing. Divide into two plates.
2. Using fork, scrape goat cheese onto top of each plate. Serve immediately.

Source: Rustic Garden Bistro

Nutrition content per serving: ??

Cost per serving: ??

Oh, one more thing: can we convince you to help us unload some?

Have you been hearing your windows vibrate and rattle the last couple of days? If so, here’s your explaination: Bombing Practice at the Pinecastle Bombing range. For more information see the Orlando Sentinel article.

Title: Meet Me in St Louis
Author: tangerine
Rating: All Ages
Word Count: 114
Characters: Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith
Setting / Era: St Louis world fair, Missouri, 1904

The Doctor, Sarah and a little bit of historical fun and nonsense. What could be wrong with that?

From: Bon Appetit magazine

12 Servings

12 Strawberries with stem
1 750ml bottle chilled Viognier
3 cups chilled sparkling water
1.5 cups chilled tangerine juice
1.5 cups chilled pomegranate juice
10 fresh mint leaves
1.5 cups crushed ice cubes
2 unpeeled tangerines, sliced into thin rounds

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place strawberries on prepared sheet. Freeze until frozen, about 3 hours. Can be made 1 week ahead. Transfer to resealable bag. Release excess air, seal bag, and keep frozen.

Mix wine, sparkling water, tangerine juice, and pomegranate juice in 12 cup pitcher. Using fingers, crush mint leaves; add to pitcher. Add ice and tangerines; stir.

Place 1 frozen strawberry in each of 12 wineglasses or tumblers. Divide spritzer among glasses and serve.

The ugly eyesore across from the Post Office was torn down. The lot is zoned commercial and is for sale listed at $99,000.  Any takers?

It’s the return of the corn! I didn’t think it would happen so late in the season, but I’m not complaining.

This week from Greenling, we’re getting corn from Home Sweet Farm, tangerines from Orange Blossom Farms, acorn squash from Massey Farm, gala apples from Top of Texas, red new potatoes from Naegelin, watermelon radishes from Ringer Farm, bok choy from Acadian Family Farm, grapefruit from G&S Groves, scallions from Lundgren Farm, yellow beans from Animal Farm, cilantro from My Father’s Farm, and (perhaps) mustard greens.

So I’m making:

Side Dishes:

• Radish salad with cilantro
• Bok choy slaw with Gala apples
• Jalapeno corn bread (since I still have a ton of serranos left from last week!)
• Garlicky yellow beans with scallions
• Balsamic-glazed chick peas with mustard greens

Dinners:

• Roasted acorn squash hollowed out and served with sesame chicken tenders in the middle
• Southwest corn and potato soup (which would also use the leftover serranos)

I’ll eat the tangerines and grapefruit as they are throughout the week for breakfast and snacks.

At 100, Tangerine still glad to be tiny

“A few more homes, a more diverse population and more interesting political discussions,” Bill Gorman said. Several years ago, the Gormans, who built a home on eight wooded acres, sold about 34 acres, but because of the economic downturn, Gorman said he is aware of only one house being built.

Neighbors are still smarting over the battle against the largest development yet, called Stoneybrook Hills, built on the east side of U.S. 441.

The project, which extends over the county line into Mount Dora, precipitated the formation of the Tangerine Development Committee several years ago. The committee fought to downsize Stoneybrook from a proposed 3,000 homes to the approved 1,239. The housing-market slump has stalled construction there as well.

I ran into this blog recently that sums up Tangerine’s anti-growth stance nicely.  It links to an Orlando Sentinel January 2009  article everyone in Tangerine knows about. Check it out and you’ll see our anti-growth stance is long-standing and will remain that way.

Just got the email circular for this week’s specials at Freshfield Farms.  The locally grown Zellwood Tangerines are the feature item on top this week.  It is two 3 lb bags of tangerines for $5.

You can get the rest of the specials here on the weekly specials page. Or you can sign up to get the email circular about specials on the front page.