Where It All Began: If you’re like a lot of people, you enjoy snacking on dried fruit. Have you ever stopped to think about how the idea of drying came about? Drying fruit has been around for centuries and is the process of extracting most of the original water content from the fruit. When fresh food was tougher to come by, having dried fruit on hand stood in place of fresh fruit in our diets. The main idea of drying fruit was to help preserve it; dried fruit lasts a lot longer than fresh fruit and is a lot easier to keep on hand.

Easy to Make Granola Recipe: Quick, easy, and healthy, you can’t go wrong with this homemade Bella Viva granola. This flourless, crunchy snack is packed with flavor and healthy fats! Unlike traditional granola, this recipe uses nuts and flax seed as the base which contain omega-3 fatty acids. You can even add 1 cup of your favorite Bella Viva dried fruits and nuts to make it your own! Total Time: 50 minutes Serves: 6 Yields: 6 Cups Prep Time: 15 min. Bake Time: 30 – 40 min. Ingredients: 1 ½ cups raw walnuts 1 ½ cups raw cashews 2 cups oats 1 cup ground

Heat Waves and Cold Spells: We are concerned California might be approaching another dry season despite experiencing a hint of healthy, wet weather over the past three months. Although spring just arrived, the weather can’t seem to make up its mind as to which season it is. In the first week of February, many cities hit record high temperatures. The small Riverside County town of Thermal even reached 93 degrees! However, by the third week of the month, drastic below-freezing temperatures started making an appearance at night. According to Bella Viva Orchards’ owner, Victor Martino, this recent freeze is the worst he has ever

Congratulations to Debra D. for winning second prize in the 2015 Bella Viva Recipe Contest! Her sweet and salty fig bars were delicious. We enjoyed the unique blend of flavors and the buttery rich taste. The beauty of this recipe is you can mix and match any dried fruit and nuts, such as: raisins, dates, prunes, apricots or cherries. Ingredients: ¾ cup dried figs ¾ cup water ½ cup butter (coconut oil might work, haven’t tested yet) 3 tablespoons coconut sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1¼ cup blanched almond flour ⅛ teaspoon baking soda ¾ cup chopped walnuts (or more) sea salt or Himalayan salt

Ingredients: ½ cup Bella Viva Prunes ½ cup Bella Viva Dried Peaches ½ cup Bella Viva Dried Apricots Orange peel/Orange Juice to taste 1 Tsp Cinnamon Lemon Juice Pinch/Lemon Peel Instructions Simmer 10 minutes in shallow water, after bringing to boil. Can be served, chilled or warm; add raw honey for sweetener if needed.

Ingredients: 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup dark brown sugar 1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped ½ cup whole almonds, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped ½ cup dried Moyer prunes, pitted and halved ½ cup dried apricot halves ½ cup dried Bing cherries 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions Preheat the oven to 325° F. Prepare a 8×8-inch square pan with nonstick spray or line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the brown sugar,

Description This recipe was adapted by Katie G. from a recipe originally found on Epicurious. She recommends stuffing and wrapping the roast at least 24 hours in advance. Instructions: Stuffing: ¼ pound Bella Viva Dried Apricots, cut into ½-inch pieces ¼ pound Bella Viva Dried Zante Currants 2/3 cup ruby port 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 small shallot, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic ¾ stick unsalted butter 1 tart apple such as Granny Smith, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces Roast: 1 6 pound bone-in pork loin roast (10 ribs), frenched, at room temperature 1 hour 9 or 10 bacon slices Port

Description This combination is a delicious fruit-pie like concoction without the gluten, wheat, or flour. Enjoy throughout the holidays! Ingredients: 2-3 fresh cinnamon sticks Fresh or dry bay leaves Organic crystallized sugar (or any sugar) Ground cinnamon Bella Viva dried apricots Bella Viva dried pears Bella Viva dried peaches Bella Viva dried nectarines Bella Viva dried prunes Instructions Line a metal tin, or any container we like to use a festive holiday tin! Line the bottom with a paper doily or any food-grade liner. Layer ingredients in a liberal fashion and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar to taste. Close lid and let ingredients sit on counter.