Five Spice Apple and Almond Wontons (Recipe)

Five Spice Apple and Almond Wontons

Here’s something different — and delightful — for your next holiday party. I love wonton soup and wonton appetizers but this recipe takes the concept of wontons, turns it on its head, and knocks it out of the park! Filled with apples and chopped almonds and flavored with five spice powder and a little brandy […]

Posted on November 12th, 2019

Share our California Bounty this Holiday Season

California Bounty Box

Tis the season to be thankful and celebrate. And this year we have a new offering that’s just perfect for your holiday table or to send as a gift to family or friends. It’s our California Bounty Box and it is gorgeous! In my family we always receive a box of harvest treats from one […]

Posted on November 7th, 2019

Sweet Potato Almond Chipotle Soup (Recipe)

Sweet Potato Almond Chipotle Soup

Weather is always a little unpredictable at this time of year in Chico. It seems like it can’t decide whether it’s summer, winter or fall! Today as I write this blog post, for instance, it is definitely summer! I’m wearing my lightest sundress and have all the windows in the house open. Last week I […]

Posted on October 28th, 2019

How Do You Pronounce “Almond”?

Shaking the Almond Trees

Silly question. You pronounce it “all-mond, right?” Well, maybe, if you live almost everywhere in the United States. But not if you live in Chico, CA! Here we say “am-end” with “am” pronounced like “Sam.” Where on earth did that come from? If you ask farmers, they’ll pretty much tell you the same joke: that […]

Posted on September 26th, 2019

A Quick and Tasty Energy Boost from Maisie Jane’s

Maisie Jane's Flavored Almonds

Back to school and back to the office! Vacation season is over. But the fun never has to stop with flavored nut snacks from Maisie Jane’s! Who says a great nutritious snack can’t taste good? With these selections you’ll want to take some with you every day. Nuts are the perfect easy to take with […]

Posted on September 19th, 2019

Sweet and Salty Almond Breakfast Bars (Recipe)

Sweet and Salty Almond Breakfast Bars

Here’s a healthy treat that’s easy to take with you if you’re running late to work some morning. Pastry Chef Jenny McCoy, of Craft in New York City, created these Sweet and Salty Almond Breakfast Bars for the Almond Board of California. They’re filled with tasty and good for you almonds, seeds and almond butter […]

Posted on September 12th, 2019

It’s Almond Shaking Season!

Shaking the Almond Trees

It’s the most wonderful time of the year— almond shaking season when we knock the “l” from the almonds. (We say “ah-mond” here in Chico, with “ah” pronounced like “Sam.”) Between mid-August and October, 80% of the world’s almonds are shaken from the trees in California. Some say the season actually begins in Chico. And […]

Posted on September 5th, 2019

Chile Honey Almond Chicken Kebabs

Almond Chicken Kebabs

Here’s a grown-up version of a dinner treat I loved as a kid: chicken fingers on a stick! How fun is that? It’s the perfect dinner idea for summer if you ask me. But this version is made with a crushed almond and breadcrumb coating and served with a spicy but sweet dipping sauce so […]

Posted on August 13th, 2019

Home in the Almond Grove

Hurtado Family

I came across a country rock song I never heard before recently by a band named Cracker that maybe some of you might know. Cracker was formed by singer-songwriter David Lowery (of Camper Van Beethoven fame) and guitarist Johnny Hickman. On their most recent album, “Berkeley to Bakersfield,” is a bittersweet song called “The Almond […]

Posted on August 8th, 2019

When Almond Hulls Split

Almond Hull split

We’re seeing our first hull splits! That means harvest time is on its way! Really? Well, not right away, but splits in July indicate a phase in the lifetime of the almond that lets us know that things are proceeding at a good pace. After almond bloom season in February and March, almond fruits start […]

Posted on July 25th, 2019