Life

I spent three incredible days at PMA Fresh Summit 2017 in New Orleans exploring, learning and sampling the best stuff in the produce industry!  There were more than 1,000 booths to visit  – it is almost impossible to see them all.  I got to learn about packaging, transit, farming, breeding, proprietary varieties and best of all – what is new in the world of produce and floral!  (Disclosure:  Part of my travel costs and all of my Fresh Summit conference ticket have been covered through Kitchen Play for PMA.  As always my opinions are my own and I have lots of them!)

Days started early – can you tell I’m barely awake!  I grabbed this selfie at sunrise off my hotel balcony with the super dome in the background.  What you can’t see is my high quality Altra running shoes hard at work to get me through miles and miles of walking! They did a rock star job and I’m happy to say my feet are still attached.

My goal when I hit the conference floor was to learn all I could about produce as an industry and bring a best of list back to you.  So here you have it – the very best of more than 1,000 vendors and the items I think are worth seeking out/asking for at your local grocery!

Fresh Summit is all about trend spotting.  Everywhere you go produce marketers are setting new trends for how our food gets to market and is presented to us.  One of the fun new trends in packaging is lettuce wrapped like a bouquet!  The presentation is appealing and beautiful.  In fact it is so pretty I could see it showing up in a bridal bouquet.   I think this is a great way to get us all eating more healthy greens.

PMA is all about the chance to try new fruits and veggies you have never encountered before.  Hurst Berry Farm is located about 45 minutes from where I was born and raised but I had never heard of them or their amazing kiwi berries!  These cute, brown grape sized kiwi are extra sweet and juicy.  You pop them like grapes, skin and all.  Or you can dip them in chocolate which is Sooooo good!

The one heartbreaking thing about this fruit is that it has a very short season – just a few weeks wrapping up in early November.  You can order online from Hurst but they are also in grocery stores all over the country.  This is one of my must try recommendations after PMA!  I was so impressed I have been sharing the berries I brought back with strangers to spread the word!

At this point I’m willing to guess many of you have seen options for year round indoor gardening.  Lots of companies do little machines you can use for herbs etc.  This new vertical aeroponic growing system from Indoor Farms America is a similar concept but on steroids!  I got to sample some lettuce right off this wall which is taller than I am and visit with their chef.

The team at Indoor Farms is dedicated to having high yield farm equipment right inside homes and restaurants for fresh produce without mess, pest loss or high water use.  It is an impressive system and one I will be keeping an eye on to see how it develops!  (The set up in this photo is intended for restaurants and costs about $30 a month in electricity.  A home version is much smaller and only costs about $10 a month to run.)

For total range of produce I was excited about what Melissa’s had to offer.  They had so many unique fruits and veggies I had never seen or never tried.  The Dragonfruit was delicious (pick one up SOON) and the same with the Goldenberries.  Melissa’s is also bringing out pre-soaked lentils and other ingredients to simplify dinner prep.  Keep your eyes peeled for their label and check out their unique offerings whenever you have the chance!

They also brought these hilarious pumpkins to the show!  When the pumpkins were growing in the field they forced each fruit to grow into the shape of a mold and then popped the mold off!  I thought it was a wonderfully fun take on pumpkin growing!

I tried a lot of great snacks at PMA but one of my favorites was this treat from Nature’s Intent.  Strawberries are semi-dried and then thickly coated in dark chocolate.  It tastes amazing and I was hard pressed not to horde the bag for myself!  I love the chew of the partially dried strawberry combined with the sweet burst of fresh flavor and the rich chocolate.

One of the first booths I stopped at was the Sun World grape booth.  I love grapes and was curious about the Adora grapes they were sampling.  They were excellent and while I don’t really like green grapes I thought to be fair I should try theirs.  Simply put, I’m now a green grape fanatic but only when it comes to AutumnCrisp grapes.  This is a proprietary variety of grape that only Sun World grows.  I’ve seen it at Costco since I’ve been back but be sure to ask your local grocer if they have any.

The flavor is rich and sweet with a hit of muscat.  The grapes are large and firm and crisp with tons of juice.  I was so excited about these grapes I ran around the conference trying every other kind of grape that was available.  At the end of the day these were still my favorites.  One thing I learned at PMA was to figure out what variety of produce you love and what brand grows it.  Keep your eyes peeled for their label and grab them when you can!

Are you on the succulent band wagon yet? I was not but this Plant Amp from Syndicate Home and Garden converted me.  They sent me home with one and I’ve been loving it!  The design is sleek and elegant but it is still functional and practical.  By the way… I don’t recommend putting succulents in your luggage.  A little dirt goes a long ways!

At PMA there is opportunity for learning and growth around every corner.  Zespri Kiwi participated in the recipe development contest I judged and made a fun fruit sushi.  The main dish was lovely but they served it with a kiwi sauce that was amazing!  Everybody brought their best ideas to PMA.  Over and over again I got to see old ingredients used in exciting new ways.  After trying Zespri’s contest entry I’m newly inspired to use kiwi more in desserts and meat dishes!  I don’t cook with it nearly enough.  I also highly recommend their SunGold variety of kiwi.  It is sweet and mild with lots of kiwi flavor.  It is also less hairy than traditional kiwi – practically hairless in fact.

My last find is a bit hidden in this assortment of gifts I was sent home with!  (Yes I ended up over the luggage weight limit and most of this went home in my backpack.)  The conference was closing on Saturday and I was headed out for the weekend when I walked by a wine and juice booth.  I had heard about Muscadine wine but never gotten to sample any.  What I ended up sampling was the Post Muscadine Grape Juice from the Post Familie Vinyards.  I’ve never had grape juice like that!  If I’m ever in Arkansas these guys are my first stop!  They carry four varieties and I would love about a case of each.  I also need to try the wine now of course.  If you don’t live in that area they do allow orders online.

When I first agreed to go cover PMA I was excited but not sure if the experience would live up to my expectations or be worth it.  However, it blew my expectations away and I loved it so much I hope to go again next year!

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I know this is somewhat belated but I think a new baby is the perfect reason to take a little time off!  Our son Johnathan Lionheart Wade Neuneker (known to all as Jack) arrived to join our small family back in the middle of January.  We named him for his wonderful Daddy and both of his Grandfathers.  I very much hope he grows up with something for each of the three men he was named for.

Jack was 11 lbs and 3oz!!!  I will be grateful to my wise and caring OB Dr. Tim West for the rest of my life.  In the last weeks of pregnancy he helped us make a thoughtful, prayerful and medically informed choice to go ahead and schedule a C-section when it became clear Jack was not going to be able to make a safe arrival in the traditional way.  I expected it to be one of the hardest things you could go through but in the end recovery was easier than I expected!  I am feeling very well these days and have been easing back into cooking and creating some great new recipes to share with all of you!

The last two months have been a joyful adventure full of some amazing firsts.  Yes, we are getting some sleep at night.  Yes, the cats are ok with Jack though they find him loud.  Yes, we love being new parents.  Yes, Jack eats well.  Yes, we are having at least a dozen more kids!  (Well, maybe 3-5…)  Any more questions 🙂 ?

I have had quite a few e-mails asking for updates and pictures so here you are:

Brand new in my arms at the hospital.

10 days old having our first family adventure at the McCall Winter Carnival.

Two weeks old.

Celeste likes the new hairless kitten!

We enjoy him just a little bit, in case you wondered.

14 months before Jack’s arrival we were told it was likely we would never have children.  Jack is the answer to our prayers and a wonderful gift from a loving God.  We are so thankful for what we have been given to steward.

Jack’s first trip to the Oregon Coast, about 1 month old. (By the way, for you parents we LOVE this baby carrier!)

5 weeks.  Soft blankets and nightly showers with Daddy are now his favorite things.

The little superhero at 7 weeks, thinking about how he will find a way to make the world a better place!

Age two months with my father, Wade.  Jack is full of smiles and loves snuggling with all of his grandparents.

Jack’s first trip to the zoo (Portland, OR), age 2 months.

Motherhood has been full of new adventures and experiences.  I feel like I’m the 2.0 version of myself, but it is a positive experience of being stretched.  Here Jack is having his lunch at the zoo in the rain!

Our handsome prince at two months posing quite cooperatively for me!

Thank you all for your wonderful e-mails and words of encouragement through a difficult pregnancy and the first few months with Jack.  We have very much enjoyed hearing from readers all across the world!

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Today I’m not sharing a recipe for my latest chocolate cake or the perfect summer salad. Instead, I have some personal things to share.

These days it seems that big life news comes in little packages. Our family is growing by one with the arrival of a baby in January of 2016! The journey to this occasion has spanned infertility issues and the miscarriage of our daughter, Glory*. Maybe because of that, this moment is ever so much sweeter. Thankfully, we are now safely into the 2nd trimester with a strong heartbeat for baby and a bit less morning sickness for me!

Longtime readers may have noticed that blog posts have been more scarce than usual this summer. I confess I have rather lost my appetite and have cooked exactly one dinner since the beginning of June. Lucky for me, Jonathan is an excellent cook and has been pampering me and keeping me fed no matter how queasy I feel.

I’m told things should begin leveling out now and I’m very excited to get back into the kitchen and start sharing recipes with all of you again! Keep an eye out for a delightful nectarine sangria and an epic no-churn cookies and cream ice cream coming soon.

With my entire life changing, there has been a lot of learning going on. At the beginning of the pregnancy I looked online for information but that turned out to be more annoying than valuable. Then, a friend gave me a copy of What To Expect When You’re Expecting and I found it satisfied all my burning questions!

The What to Expect series is currently celebrating 600 plus weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and asked a few bloggers to share their thoughts. It has been such a helpful and positive part of pregnancy for me that I am glad to share some reflections.

As a first time mom there are a many aspects of pregnancy that have surprised me and sometimes overwhelmed me. I love having a trusted resource I can open at 6pm on a Saturday and get a sensible answer to what is going on with my body at the moment. The book is well organized into sections and gives a compressive look at pregnancy without being overwhelming.

Because food is my thing, I also checked out Eating Well When You Are Expecting. The original What to Expect book has some great basics on pregnancy eating but the food version is an in depth smorgasbord. The book covers pregnancy eating during travel, on a budget, for every body type, nutritional details, food safety issues and even has a section on eating while breastfeeding! I also appreciated the recipe section which has a lot of interesting options.

Every mother to be has a different learning style. For me, the What to Expect series has been a comfort, an encouragement and the dispenser of magic knowledge which has made the ups and downs of pregnancy much easier for me. It is not a book that has to be read cover to cover. For the less enthusiastic reader it can be used more as a reference guide to provide specific answers.

I look forward to sharing some of the sure to be hilarious details of our new life over the coming months. Stay tuned.

*If you have been dealing with fertility problems or have lost a baby you have my deepest sympathy. I know what a hard time it can be. Please feel free to be in touch via e-mail if you would like somebody to connect with or to pray for you. While I understand that a lifestyle of prayer is not everybody’s choice, it has been the one thing that has carried me through the last few years in a way nothing else could.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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Celeste, our still new little princess, loves to be held and snuggled. She is very fond of being wrapped up and held. She enjoyed being snuggled up in the stocking, ready to be hung up to be found Christmas morning… for about 5 minutes. Then she was done. Maybe she’ll be more patient next year.

           

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This is my handsome boy, now our middle cat, giving Jonathan his serious grown up face.  In all reality he is a sucker for a tummy rub, will do anything for tuna and likes to play fetch with a soft pink fluff ball.

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This sweet little one has been in our home for a week and already I’m not sure what we did without her silly kitten antics. Tiger is enjoying it though with caution.  Zip is still convinced we have done a strange and concerning thing.  He also thinks she smells and washes her occasionally when he thinks nobody is looking!

I can’t help but love her because she enjoys blogging with me.  She is very paws on!!!

To be fair – she is paws on pretty much everything right now…  Jonathan has an aquarium screen saver which she is determined to catch.  When pouncing on the monitor does no good she crawls under it and behind it searching for the moving fish.  I’m amazed at her perseverance.

The poor, sweet thing still has no name.  Jonathan is trying to name her Princess Fluffy Butt.  I refuse to cave…  It might be a bit before she has a title.

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When we got Zip we planned get a second cat sometime in the next few years.  It seemed Zip would like company eventually.  Tiger joined our little family unexpectedly as another rescue just eight months after Zip did.  Though we love cats, we felt that our family was complete with the two fur boys.  We dreamed about owning a farm in the future that would have enough space to rescue some older strays who could be indoor / outdoor.  This fall we started to notice that Zip has become less playful while Tiger has retained a bit more of the kitten personality.  Jonathan spoke wistfully about needing a kitten for Tiger but we discussed it and decided against adding a cat.

On the last Sunday in September we met a sweet little Siamese some friends were fostering for the Idaho Hume Society.  I was standing in the kitchen of their home explaining that we had no plans to take in a third cat.  As I was talking, Jonathan walked in with this sweet little girl in his hands and I just stopped.  I knew in that moment we had just gotten a third cat.  She is beautiful and I have always wanted a Siamese but more than that we just felt like she was meant to be ours.  We went home and talked about it and weighed our options, but it really was a done deal.  After sleeping on it we committed to bringing the little princess home for good.  We had to wait two weeks for her to be done with the initial medical but this Monday we finally got to bring her home!  She is a lively and snugly addition to our household.  The boys were rather shocked and still a bit unsure about the situation but they are all starting to settle in well.

She is four months old now and weighs in at barely two pounds.  Her eyes are vibrant blue and she kneads whatever surface she is on – even hard flooring.  The vet thinks she is close to pure Siamese.  We are now embarked in full fledged kitten training but we count it all joy!

Jonathan and I have held off naming the little princess for now.  She’s so beautiful Jonathan suggested we name her “Beautiful” and have done with it but we have agreed to look for something a bit less, well, conceited!  If you would like to suggest a name for her, please leave a comment!  We could use some good ideas!!!

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Jonathan and Zip are working hard to update the code for MirlandrasKitchen.com.  They do a lot to keep me up and running.  I must say though, I’m unclear on exactly what Zip’s job is!

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I caught this cutie just as he was drifting off to sleep.  Sometimes he sleeps on his back so I will come rub his belly.

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