The Lemon Lady Foundation

Friday, January 3, 2014

February is Heart Month. 5 easy tips to a Happier Healthier Heart...

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle." -Plato

Think Orange. The Happier, Heart-Healthy color.It takes a simple act of kindness to bring fresh fruit to a food pantry. One person. One tree. It all begins somewhere. Have YOU picked a tree today?
1. Walking is healthy excercise for YOUR heart. Go for a walk around the neigborhood today. You'll find many fruit trees bursting with ripe oranges, lemons, and other citrus.

2. Making friends is healthy for YOUR heart. I've met over 500 fruit tree owners in the Bay Area. Believe me, they are kind and generous souls who love to share. Make new friends today.

3. Picking fruit is healthy excercise for YOUR heart.

4. Eating fresh oranges is healthy nutrition for YOUR heart.

5. Joy of giving and sharing is healthy emotion for YOUR heart.

What are you waiting for...?
Please help The Lemon Lady celebrate Heart Month by sharing seasonal fruit with a nearby food pantry. Think healthy. Think orange.
For a list of local food pantries that accept homegrown fruit, CLICK HERE.

For information about Heart Month, CLICK HERE.

FREE Museum Days - January 2014 - First weekend filled with opportunities...

First Full Weekend of the Month is upon us!

Got weekend plans? There is often a FREE MUSEUM DAY located in a town near you. San Francisco, Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Portland, Boston and beyond. First Weekend of the month has many FREE Admission opportunities. Have fun. Be inspired.

CLICK HERE to find other FREE MUSEUM DAYS in a city near you.

CLICK HERE to explore Bank of America Cardholder FREE Admission Days

Oakland Museum is Free FIRST Sunday to the general public.

Chabot Space & Science Center w/BofA Card FREE First weekend

Contemporary Jewish Museum w/BofA card FREE First weekend

de Young w/BofA card FREE First weekend

Legion of Honor w/BofA card FREE First weekend

San Jose Museum of Art w/BofA Card FREE First weekend

Tech Museum w/BofA Card FREE First weekend

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Ruth Bancroft Garden - FREE Admission - First Tuesday of each month...

The Ruth Bancroft Garden Office is located at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek, CA, (925) 944-9352. The Garden is open for visitors Wednesday through Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

How many of us drive by the Ruth Bancroft Garden daily, yet never stop to admire this beautiful garden? The garden's history dates back to the 1880s. Read about the HISTORY of the garden, here:
http://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/rbgarden/pages/about-history.html

FREE admission is offered on the FIRST TUESDAY of each month. Mark your calendars for January 7, 2014. Stop in on your lunch hour, after work or school.

Another wonderful program, Contra Costa Library Discover and Go provides FREE admission to the Ruth Bancroft Garden. With my library card, the Ruth Bancroft Garden has complimentary tickets available every weekday this month! Check it out, here: http://ccclib.org/discovergo/

If you enjoy the garden, consider supporting their work through fundraisers, admission and plant sales.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The Best Lemon Bars On Earth! - A Favorite Recipe...

Photo courtesy: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/

Ahh...what memories. Back when I was single and fancy free, before trading cookbooks for Dr. Seuss books, I lived and breathed from one dinner party to the next. Baking trays and trays of scrumptious desserts. A tried and true recipe from Cook's Illustrated still tops my list as an all-time favorite. Give it a try. Find a neighbor with a lemon tree. Glean a few for the food pantry. Make friends and bake yummy lemon bars!

From Cook’s Illustrated, May/June ’98.
The crust:
1 ¾ cups flour
2/3 cup powdered sugar, plus extra for decoration
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ tsp. salt
12 tbl. unsalted butter at very cool room temp., cut into 1-inch pieces

Lemon filling:
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 tbl. flour
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest from 1 large lemon
2/3 cup juice from 3 large lemons, strained
1/3 cup whole milk
1/8 tsp. salt

For the crust: Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with one sheet of parchment paper. Dot paper with butter and then lay a second sheet crosswise over the first.

Pulse flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor to blend. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second bursts. Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and press firmly with fingers into even, ¼-inch layer over entire pan bottom and about ½ inch up sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake crust until golden brown about 20 minutes.

For the filling: While crust is baking, whisk eggs, sugar and flour in a medium bowl then stir in lemon juice, zest, mile and salt to blend well.

To finish the bars: Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Stir filling mixture to reblend; pour into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Holding edges of parchment paper, lift whole cake out of pan and transfer to cutting board, fold paper down sides and cut into serving-size squares or bars, wiping knife clean between cuts. Sieve more powdered sugar over bars, if desired.

P.S.
To find a food bank or local food pantry, zip code search, nationwide, CLICK HERE.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Holiday Winter Wonderland, Build a Real Snowman close to home - Today! Saturday, December 14th...

It's been a while since we've played in the snow so close to home. Today, we're off to a fun, snowy event in Orinda, California, only 20 minutes from Clayton.

Friends: Check it out! It's a FREE event, sponsored by the Orinda Theatre Square shopping center. They have several delicious restaurants for your dining enjoyment.

ORINDA THEATRE SQUARE HOLIDAY WINTER WONDERLAND

Saturday, December 14: Snow Fun Begins at 3pm

The forecast calls for snow at Orinda Theatre Square, so make sure you bring your mittens!
Be sure to stop by and help your kiddos build a snowman right inside Theatre Square!

3pm - the snow melts : Real Snow Fun provided by SpecialIce. Please note that due to limited space and snow, the area is designated for building snowmen and better suited for younger kids.

5:30 - 7:30pm : Horse and Carriage Rides Around The Square

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Fruit Donation Service. SHARE Fruit. Feed The Hungry...

Donate fruit in California:

CLICK HERE for food bank locations accepting fresh fruit from local trees.

Donate fruit, zip code search the United States:
CLICK HERE for food bank locations across America accepting fresh fruit from local trees.

Donate fruit in Concord, California:
CLICK HERE for neighborhood food pantries accepting fresh fruit from local trees.

Donate fruit to the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano:
CLICK HERE for website, warehouse, donation information, food bank resources.

Glean a little goodness. HARVEST Fruit. SHARE Fruit. TAKE ACTION. Feed The Hungry!

FREE Pick-up and Delivery. Harvest Help.
Register A Fruit Tree:

Contact:
Anna, The Lemon Lady
Jefferson Award Winner
Email: AnnaAndAva@gmail.com
Cell: (510) 406-1625
Office: (925) 672-1988
www.thelemonlady.blogspot.com

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Farmers' Markets! The week is just beginning. Fall Harvests Have Arrived...

Farmers' Markets SEARCH BY ZIP CODE

Did you know there are farmers' markets almost every day of the week, all year, rain or shine in California?

We LOVE the farmers and the markets. So much fun to be out and about! Breathe crisp morning air, listen to music, delight in the beautiful assortment of farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. Have fun. Visit a market soon! Support a family farmer.

CLICK HERE to FIND A MARKET in a city near you.

TUESDAY

Martinez, CA: Contra Costa Regional Medical Center

12pm-4pm (Seasonal) Visit website for exact dates

http://cccfm.org/pages/ccrmc.html

TUESDAY

Concord, CA: Todos Santos Square

10am-2pm

http://www.pcfma.com/market_home.php?market_id=3

WEDNESDAY

Martinez, CA: Veteran's Medical Center

10am-2pm (Seasonal) Visit website for exact dates