California Raisin Board | Apple Crumbles

California Raisin Bread Contest 2011

Another year of nervous anticipation, friendly conversation, and ultimate excitement. The California Raisin Bread Contest. I would encourage anyone who loves baking and wants to promote their own unique recipe to others to keep your eyes open for this contest in 2012. You won’t meet a friendlier, helpful, and all over nicer group of people than at this event. The judges offer positive comments and tips, never making you believe you don’t have a chance of being one of the final twelve winners. The contestants themselves are a warm, social, and uninhibited bunch. I can’t express how much I enjoy [...]

By Joanne|2011-10-16T19:44:00-04:00October 16, 2011|Bread|30 Comments

California Raisin Bread Contest: Live and Learn

This is my second year as a finalist in the California Raisin Bread Contest and I’m still just as nervous going into the baking round as I was the first year. This is the fourth year the contest has been held and it is STILL growing. 100 entries and 37 finalists. Next year, the CA Raisin Board is looking for YOUR entry. They are really pushing the marketing. They want professional, commercial, artisan, student, retail, and bakers from all over to submit their creative ideas for using raisins in tasty, tempting raisin concoctions. Mark your calendars. Save the date. Make [...]

By Joanne|2011-10-14T23:27:07-04:00October 14, 2011|Bread|3 Comments

Falling Leaves Expo 2011

I was there My Arbonne friend Kathy was there Running Coach, Mike was there handing out the very, VERY popular shirts (Mike is also the Falling Leaves Event organizer and doing a BANG UP job!). A lot of folks were enjoying the expo with all it had to offer. Yes, even the MARATHON MINI LOAVES. They were pretty darned popular and made me feel even more confident that I was going into the finals of the California Raisin Bread contest with a potential winner. The expo was fun, a lot of to offer and very kinetic! Good times! The Brewery [...]

By Joanne|2011-09-24T19:12:09-04:00September 24, 2011|Life|3 Comments

A Winner and Tuna Stuffed Peppers

It’s been a week of ups and downs. Thursday ended on an “up” note because…. I’m a FINALIST in the California Raisin Bread Contest once again! Ted and I will be going to Manhattan, Kansas for the second time. Here’s a preview of my winning recipe: Marathon Mini Loaves. More on the contest, the raisins, the judging, when we get to Kansas on October 13th. Until then, make sure to become a fan of the California Raisin Board. Speaking of marathons (you know, “marathon mini loaves???) yes, I’m STILL in training for Philadelphia on November 20th. It’s not going quite [...]

By Joanne|2011-09-15T17:23:42-04:00September 16, 2011|Quick Meals|3 Comments

AIB: Kansas Day 2

Morning Activities: Pre - AIB The bed in our room is a perfect bed. It’s firm with a great big fluffy down mattress cover. In all that feathery comfort, my body still insisted on waking up at it’s usual time, which is an hour earlier in Manhattan, Kansas and too early to even “catch the worm”. By 4:45, I gave up the struggle and got up. Our room is one door down from the fitness room (Talk About Convenience!) which made it easy to toss on a few clothes, take a few steps and hop on the treadmill for a [...]

By Joanne|2010-10-15T22:46:00-04:00October 15, 2010|Food thoughts, Life|5 Comments

The Swim and Cumin Chili Cod with Warm Corn Relish

Last night Ted and I took a swimming class at the Community College. The class lasted an hour. It was an intermediate swim but there was a lot of standing around listening to the instructor. Ted was the “bad boy” in the class: talking while the instructor was talking, poking me while I was trying to do the breathing exercises, etc. He’s going to get in “deep water” with the instructor and he'll try to take me down with him. At one point, I got so much water up my nose because he made me laugh. Good thing it was [...]

By Joanne|2010-09-24T06:14:27-04:00September 24, 2010|Exercises, healthy cooking|8 Comments