"Dinosaur egg" is a nickname given to some varieties of pluot due to their dappled coloring. This delicious cross between an apricot and a plum happened thanks to a cross-breeding program (not genetic engineering) conducted by California breeder Floyd Zaiger. Pluots are nutritious and are low in fat, so Moms looking for healthy snacks have another great option in the pluot. You can also count on slices of pluot to add some flavor to other dishes.
"El Niño weather event is biggest since 1997, may trigger soaking winter storms..." is the actual headline in the Mercury News. As any California farmer would say, this is wonderful news. Yet in spite of all our advanced algorithms, satellites and data, the meteorologists are still offering only educated guesses, not facts. Talk to our sagacious senior farmers, though, and you will be told that if the rain doesn't come this year, it will come next year, or the year after. The fact is, California is a generally arid region of extreme weather, and we have lived through droughts before. Now is the time farmers prepare for rain and conserving the water that does come.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Cooling Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS
1 16 1/2 - ounce roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 3 - ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups fresh red raspberries, blueberries and/or blackberries
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes/batch
Servings: 12 waffles
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2/3 cups milk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Set Time: 3 hours
Cooking Time: N/A
Servings: 8
INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
• 1 cup hulled and quartered fresh ripe strawberries
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4-1/2 cup sugar
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cups honey
1/4 cups canola oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/8 teaspoons salt
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Set Time: 3 hours
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 10
INGREDIENTS
Butter, for greasing
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted
