Winter citrus

While most of the eastern seaboard has been getting pounded with snowstorms, I have been enjoying beautiful 65 degree F days with clear sunny skies. Last week was a little glum with excessive rain and coastal flooding...but I'll take that over icy roads any day!

This past Sunday I took a 10-mile bike ride across the island. My ears got a little cold but it was fun, and I got to pay a visit to my local fruit stand. The people at the Spanish Wells Produce Market have lived on the island for many years and are of Gullah heritage. They have provided me with local produce all summer and fall, and they are closing for the holidays and for the winter. I luckily made it by in time to buy citrus, turnip greens and local honey.
My Aunt Susan has beautiful Meyer lemon and ruby red grapefruit trees in her backyard in Florida and I had given me more lemons than I know what do do with. After making copious amounts of lemoncello, I decided to barter for some oranges growing in the parking lot at the fruit stand.
I was entranced by these bright orange Christmas baubles tucked into lush dark green foliage. All this festive citrus tree needed was a star on top! The owners were happy to trade with me, the Meyer lemons are now tucked into a holiday lemon pie! I got the best of the deal....I traded 6 Meyer lemons for 15 Valencia oranges. I did do the labor of picking, and did not fall off the ladder.

For the next few weeks I will have delicious fresh-squeezed Hilton Head Island Valencia orange juice. I cannot wait to make mimosas with it Christmas morning. Is there a better way to celebrate the birth of a baby?

On another note about things that can be ingested this holiday season:

My Christmas week will be full of fun animal holiday antics and problems. Here are some of the things I have seen already this week:
1. my dog ate 2 pounds of chocolate
2. my dog broke into the presents and ate unidentified objects
3. my dog ate a poinsettia
4. my dog ate a starter-log
5. my dog ate the bone out of a spiral ham

What is next? I definitely know that I will be eating better things than the aforementioned items!

Tonight's project: honey-sorghum pecan pie experiment, more lemoncello making and valencia orange-squeezing