Charlie and the Incredible, Amazing, Stupendous, Really Good Day

I took Thursday and Friday of School Vacation Week off. I wanted to spend some time doing fun things with Karen Ray. So when the phone rang on Wednesday, and it was a friend and her daughter asking if we wanted to go to The Wild Animal Park on Thursday, we jumped at the chance.

We packed lunches, stopped for coffee and were on our way. If you have ever been to The Wild Animal Park (now called The Safari Park) in San Diego, you know that once you get off the highway, the drive in to the park is gorgeous! There are orchards, vineyards, Ostrich Farms, Horse Ranches, and you are surrounded by beautiful , untouched mountains. The Wild Animal Park owns 1800 acres. Of that number they have set aside more than half of them as conservation land. Their conservation makes the landscape (just 15 minutes off the highway) feel like an entirely different world.

The best thing about the day though, was the company. Both mothers and both daughters enjoy a good food adventure. So between the four of us, we were quick to decide to see the park, but to also cut out early and enjoy the farms, orchards, and vineyards!

Enjoy the story, as it unfolds in pictures...

Charlie and the Incredible, Amazing, Stupendous, Really Good Day!

Start with good friends.

And wild animals.

Indulge your inner child.

Head off the beaten path.

Enjoy the view.

Follow in a friend's footsteps.

Value individuality.

Marvel at the bounty of our Earth.

Make memories.

Keep your options open.

Try not to pass out from sheer joy.

Realize that art can be made from the ordinary.

Play hide 'n seek when asked.

Because you won't always be asked.

Never give up.

You hold victory in your hands.

And it is magnificent.

Work together.

Look for creative solutions.

Put some elbow grease into it.

Shake your groove thang.

And always eat your vegetables.

Notes:
1. An Ostrich Egg is the equivalent of 23 chicken eggs. The flavor is the same (although Tim says it is a little meatier tasting). It is higher in protein and lower in cholesterol.
2. We made omelettes with the egg, as it would have been a little difficult to cook it over easy.
3. The Vineyard is Orfila. If you are headed out to Escondido, you should check it out. The wine was delicious, and they have a lot of fun events. We are headed back there for the grape stomp later this year.
4. The man that owns the Ostrich Farm, is a retired exotic animals vet from The Wild Animal Park. In addition to providing eggs, his ostriches have been used in many movies... including "Out of Africa". (You can't make this stuff up.) He was incredibly interesting to talk to, and he drove an egg out to the gate of his farm, when we couldn't find one at any of the local farm stands.
5. An enormous bag of organic oranges was $10, and reaffirmed my belief that fruit eaten in an orchard is twice as sweet.
6. And finally, the best plans are the plans you break... The proof is in the omelette.

Baby Love - Or What to Sing When Supreming an Orange

I promised you a post about how to supreme an orange a couple of weeks ago, and every time i think about writing the post, I also think about The Supremes.  So I thought... why not a little background music for the lesson? 

I sing this song to my 5 month old niece all the time.  She loves it. The song, probably not my singing, that is.

So if you're inclined, please press play and then scroll down.

How to Supreme an Orange

This is quick an easy.  All you need is a sharp pairing knife, a cutting board, and your orange.

Cut the two ends off of the orange.  Sit it upright on the cutting board.

Starting at the top slice down the side of the orange, between the flesh and the peel.  When you are done you will have strips of peel on the cutting board.  Turn the orange over and check to make sure there aren't any stray pieces of peel to trim off.

Take your pairing knife and cut down next to each white membrane line.  At the end of every second cut, your perfect orange sections should pop right out.

When you are finished you will have beautiful oranges for a salad, or a dessert, or just to make someone feel special...

Karen Ray loves oranges like this!

And just because I think it is cool, this is what the center and membrane of your orange will look like when you are done.  It makes me feel very chef-like when I finish with them all intact.  It doesn't happen every time!

Oh, and I know you may think that I am crazy for doing this.  You probably think it looks like a pain, and would take to long... but it doesn't. 

In fact, just to prove it, I timed myself.  (Let's call it research, and not being an overly zealous food-geek.)

I set the timer on the microwave for 2 minutes.  Pressed start.  Supremed my orange.  Tripped over the dog (I didn't realize she had snuck up behind me to see if I dropped anything on the floor).  Pressed stop. 

The timer read 37 seconds.  I figure I was a second or two faster than that, what with travel time, and tripping...

Plus there was no blood. 

Which is only shocking if you know me.