With almonds that have just been shaken down from the trees. I see his point. I got to spend two days learning about almonds with 20 other Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and healthy food bloggers. One afternoon, we learned all about the science and promotion of California almonds, and how farmers work toward a sustainable future.

A sad commentary on our current food system? An opportunity for learning and growth? Catching up with fellow RDNs Kara Lydon and Alissa Rumsey before dinner. Almonds harvested the day before we got them. I ate more than one serving at almond snack time…Basil Pesto Almonds. Recipe Linked Below.

Almonds ready to be shipped out — maybe to you? Has all this talk about almonds made you hungry? If so, I highly recommend some of those basil pesto almonds recipe here. I took a bag home and have been happily snacking on them ever since.

It takes longer to eat them because you have to take the shell off, which prolongs snacking and helps you feel full before you accidentally overeat. Plus, they taste totally different — reminds me of eating almond butter. When you subscribe to my newsletter, you will receive e-mails a week filled with news and recipes to make your life healthier and less stressful.

Looks like a fun and informative trip! The blooms looked a bit like cherry blossoms to me, and I had to resist the temptation to pick them off the trees to press inside my travel journal as a memento of the trip.

And the smell. The barn was strung with tea lights and bluebells marked our place settings. On the menu was almond-crusted chicken sandwiches with romesco sauce and a salad with almond milk vinaigrette and a variety of fresh toppings, polished off with a slice of pear tart.

With his blessing, the girls and I ran off to oogle the citrus trees and pick a few pieces of fruit for the bus ride home. I came away with two oranges and a grapefruit that was nearly the size of my head. I was tempted to take more, but I only had carry-on luggage….

After many glances over my shoulder at the gorgeous almond orchard, I reluctantly got back on the bus to head to the hotel. I want to give a huge thank you to Almond Breeze for bringing me out to California. I loved hearing more about what you stand for as a company and seeing firsthand how you prioritize the happiness of your farmers.

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Learn how your comment data is processed. very interesting! definitely makes me respect Blue Diamond hearing that they care about the farmers!

great post! Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar About Get In Touch Latest. Search for search. New Travels In Your Inbox! Those boxes are just a few of the bee hives he had on the orchard.

A light, but filling lunch. Signing off, Claire I want to give a huge thank you to Almond Breeze for bringing me out to California. Leave A Reply! Cancel reply Share your thoughts! Your email address will not be published. About About Claire Get in Touch Read the Blog Privacy Policy.

Almonds ready to be shipped out — maybe to you? Has all this talk about almonds made you hungry? If so, I highly recommend some of those basil pesto almonds recipe here. I took a bag home and have been happily snacking on them ever since.

It takes longer to eat them because you have to take the shell off, which prolongs snacking and helps you feel full before you accidentally overeat.

Plus, they taste totally different — reminds me of eating almond butter. When you subscribe to my newsletter, you will receive e-mails a week filled with news and recipes to make your life healthier and less stressful. Looks like a fun and informative trip! Does the same go for almond butter?

Fingers crossed. Great question. Stay tuned…. I live in San Jose. Do you know of any orchards that one visit on weekends? i did a search and could hardly find one. Caroline is a freelance writer, nutrition communication consultant, and counselor with a holistic approach to healthy living.

Read More…. Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer Home Welcome! After an early morning flight and a minute layover that I spent running through the airport to catch my connection, I arrived in Sacramento bright eyed and bushy tailed, if a touch crumpled looking.

I had a few hours to explore Sacramento, and then all the ladies on the trip were herded into a tour bus to watch a Sacramento Kings game. After eating myself silly and chatting the night away with my fellow journalists, I passed out the minute I laid down on my bed.

The next thing I knew, it was time for the real treat: the tour of the almond orchard! We were greeted by some lovely Blue Diamond staff members, the farmer who owned this land hi Mike! As we all tucked into the muffins, Mike started telling us a little bit about his orchard and Blue Diamond.

And yes, you heard that right—we were visiting a family-run farm. Before this trip, I had no clue that Blue Diamond was a co-op. But its almonds actually come entirely from family farms, some of which are now run by third generation Blue Diamond almond farmers.

As it turns out, there are dozens of varieties of almonds. Depending on the size and flavor of an almond, it will be either be eaten directly, used for almond milk or almond flour, or some other purpose.

Having so many varieties actually helps farmers harvest all the almonds since the different types of almonds bloom at slightly different times even a few days difference is enough to allow farmers to harvest everything in a timely manner. To harvest almonds from the tree, farmers must shake the trees using a machine called a shaker you can tell a farmer named it.

The little ecosystem within the orchard was fascinating to me. Mike brings in bee hives to help pollinate the trees, and he has to make sure to rotate the hives to ensure every tree is pollinated.

I honestly thought you just planted the darn trees and called it a day—you can imagine how silly I felt once I realized how untrue that is. Throughout the entire tour, I was completely overwhelmed by the orchard surrounding us.

Everywhere I looked, I saw rows upon rows of fragrant almond trees, lined up neatly like pretty soldiers. The blooms looked a bit like cherry blossoms to me, and I had to resist the temptation to pick them off the trees to press inside my travel journal as a memento of the trip.

And the smell. The barn was strung with tea lights and bluebells marked our place settings. On the menu was almond-crusted chicken sandwiches with romesco sauce and a salad with almond milk vinaigrette and a variety of fresh toppings, polished off with a slice of pear tart. With his blessing, the girls and I ran off to oogle the citrus trees and pick a few pieces of fruit for the bus ride home.

I came away with two oranges and a grapefruit that was nearly the size of my head. I was tempted to take more, but I only had carry-on luggage…. After many glances over my shoulder at the gorgeous almond orchard, I reluctantly got back on the bus to head to the hotel.