Get a kumquat contact!

 

I know a woman who calls me when her kumquats area ready. I go pick them. In fact, I have a Groves and a Beaumont contact. Ironically, many people who grow the little orange rounds don’t quite know what to do with them. I pop them in my mouth as soon as I can. The skin is sweet and the inside is tart. The little seeds can be annoying, but every rose has its thorn. This year I actually cooked some in sugar and cinnamon and had a ball spreading this concoction on toast. Sometimes I mixed it with syrup and topped pancakes with it. It’s a southern thing to be proud of. Know your kumquats. And know who can supply them. Thanks to my fruity friends.

 

Wintering –  How about getting with a friend to select a word of the year? Maybe it’s “Adventure.” It’s now a goal you can manifest into action, or even needlepoint onto a bookmark. And you can mark ideas from “A Year of Garden-Inspired Living, Season by Season.” Using a tension rod to deck your halls with greenery, calling a former teacher who inspired you and setting up Sunday Dinners with fun friends are just a few inspirations from this book’s Wintering section. Linda Vater, author of “The Elegant and Edible Garden” wrote this heartwarming book that’s perfectly illustrated by Briana Kranz. I didn’t know velvety green wisteria pods pop open and spiral, and that’s now a décor idea. I plan to put colorful glass marbles into a bowl as a pen holder and enjoy when the sun passes over the collection. Maybe your gift to someone is to get techie with say, grandma, and help her learn how to enjoy screen time with the grands. This is a book you’d like to read a page a day from on quiet mornings. While I can’t wait to see the Springing ideas, I’m trying to be in the moment with Wintering and be patient for life’s next season.

 

Keep Karma Ready – Where do you keep your probiotics? Karma Energy Water keeps them in the lid, dry and potent, until you’re ready for their patented Push Cap technology. That means you push your melon dragon fruit, or some other flavor, down into the bottle to activate your natural caffeine drink. This one has adaptogens of Yerba Mate and Maca extract, vitamin B-Complex and C. This line tastes good, does good stuff and if you recycle the bottle, it may come back to you as a dog toy. That’s fun. Peel, push and shake to www.drinkkarma.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur Foodie ready to walk off those extra holiday calories. January is her birthday month. It has its indulgence challenges. Commiserate with her via panews@panews.com