Walnuts may be the oldest-known cultivated tree crop, but until recently, I had little idea as to how the actual harvesting and processing procedure goes down. Thankfully, the California Walnut Board and Commission invited writers to the Mariani Nut Company's orchards and processing plant to better understand the journey each walnut makes from the tree branch to your plate. Click through to be enlightened and inspired.
Here's a post from OnSugar blog house of anaïs:
We did a little walkabout in Menlo Park the other day. A lovely little high street with some nice interior and design stores to browse. Old French style, certainly durable and only gets better when it ages. Normally not really my cup of tea, but lately I have been dreaming again of getting an old French chateau with some farmland and vineyards surrounding it. Must be the lavender-scented linen spray from English National Trust . . .
This little shop, Harvest, offers the perfect French/country interiors with some quirky seasonal additions such as vintage skis or snow shoes for the wall of your mountain cabin. Tres chic.
Old water trough turned into lamp. Feels very authentic.
The patina on this dresser will only get better over time.
Want to see more? Start following house of anaïs or start your own OnSugar blog. Maybe your posts will be featured on CasaSugar too!
The other day I was on a walk in Calistoga and came across a huge field of rosemary. I recognized it instantly and was dreaming of using the earthy sprigs as skewers. Later, my friends and I came across another herb growing. This one was harder to identify because it was flowering. After taking a big sniff, we realized it was mint. Although I rarely come across herbs growing in the wild, I was happy to see that I was able to identify them. Can you?
This Spring, strawberry eaters can rejoice: the price of the beloved berry has dropped to an unusual low. The same Florida freeze that caused Tropicana to raise orange juice prices is having the reverse effect for strawberries. The cold weather delayed the annual harvest, and now Florida's berries are set to hit the market at the same time as California's crop — meaning there's a surplus of strawberries. 
Last week, 80 million pounds of strawberries were picked — a new record for this time of year. In 2009, a pound of strawberries cost $3.49, but thanks to the extra berries customers can now pick up a pound for just $1.25. Since strawberries are one of my favorite fruits, I'm already brainstorming about what I'll make with the berries. How about you? Will you purchase more strawberries at a cheaper price?
Recently, PartySugar tried to dispel the belief that Oktoberfest begins in October — it actually started last weekend! But if you haven't gotten in on the festivities just yet, don't worry; there's still time to celebrate, as the Autumn festival doesn't end until the weekend after next, on Oct. 4. Whether you're throwing the ultimate Oktoberfest party or simply looking for some hearty fare to go with your Märzen, look no further than these Bavarian favorites.
