The Holiday Enrichment Workshops Are Coming!

Each year, come mid-October I find myself giddy with excitement.  The months between January and September are filled with the serious business of proliferating the ancient life-giving/health-restoring food wisdom of countless generations.  It’s work I feel beyond privileged to engage in, but in all honesty, by mid-year can begin to feel a bit ‘heavy’. 

Once Columbus Day is safely behind us I spontaneously commence entertaining visions of sugar plum fairies and ‘buttermilk-soaked, candied fruit & crispy nut granola’ in anticipation of the Lardmouth Holiday Enrichment Workshops soon to come!  This year especially, because in addition to familiar favorites like Pie-Crust & Holiday Gift-Making, I’ll also be facilitating several brand-new workshops ranging from Fermented Chutneys to Handcrafted Chocolate Truffles!   

In keeping with the new-and-different theme, we’ll kick off the season’s offerings November 4th with a GAPS Thanksgiving ‘Dress Rehearsal’ Run-Thru for those intrepid souls attempting the ‘holiday meal of all holiday meals’ while under the influence of GAPS.  Kudos to you, and rest assured your attendance at this half-day workshop/luncheon will secure your guest’s delighted satisfaction!

I’ve solicited gracious host & hostess volunteers from Carlsbad to Grant Hill, Point Loma to Mt. Helix, so there’s sure to be a workshop close to you at some point between now and mid-December.  As the new website dust settles, I’ll be updating the calendar with a few last-minute additions, so check in frequently.

As if that weren’t enough ancestral cuisine holiday fun, by way of la pièce de résistance, Captain Kevin and I are planning not one, but two collaborative Lardmouth/Admiral’s Barge Holiday Parade of Lights Cocktail Party events on San Diego Bay, complete with celebratory & seasonal ‘farm-to-harbor’ hors d’oeuvres & libations both Sunday December 11th and 18th!

Start making your plans to attend one or more of these festive workshops & events right away, as space is limited.  As always, enrollments & reservations are taken on a first come/first served basis.  Drop me an email me at anniedru@lardmouth.com to secure a spot in these not-to-be-missed holiday activities.

GAPS Thanksgiving ‘Dress Rehearsal’ Run-Thru Workshop

Tuesday November 8th 10AM to 2:30 PM

Adhering to the GAPS Nutritional Protocol can feel like a challenge at any time, but during the holiday season it can feel downright impossible!  Join us for this half-day workshop/luncheon and discover just how easy and delicious it can be to serve your loved ones GAPS-friendly versions of Thanksgiving staples like ‘slow-braised bird with sage/sausage/sprouted walnut stuffing and giblet gravy’.  Take home a couple of altogether new recipe additions as well, like ‘fermented cranberry relish’ to-die-for ‘roasted heirloom cauliflower faux-tatoes’ and a ‘pumpkin 'curd'-cake ice cream with chocolate/date caramel sauce’ to leave them screaming for more!

Holiday Scones Workshop

Friday November 11th in Del Mar 10AM to 2PM

Oh, the excitement of those holiday mornings with family and friends shuffling into the kitchen in flannels and slippers to cup steaming mugs of coffee & hot chocolate, anticipating all the fun to come!  Wouldn't it be lovely to serve up a tray of ‘sourdough walnut/cranberry & candied ginger’ scones straight from the oven?  Or maybe ‘Vermont maple-sugar/buttermilk’ or ‘chai/pumpkin latte’ scones to serve at your holiday tea party?  Join us for this fun and delicious 'how-to' workshop that will have these festive scones flying off your baking tray just in time for the holidays!

Fermented Chutney Workshop

Friday November 18th in Point Loma & Friday November 28th in Carlsbad 10AM to 2PM

Celebrate the rich abundance of local, seasonal produce by crafting fermented versions of yummy accompaniments to your holiday turkeys, roasts and hams, like spicy ‘jalapeno, pear & pomegranate’ sweet/tart ‘apple, cranberry & date’ and warm & tangy ‘ginger, blood orange & fig’ chutneys.  Add a little something sweet, sour & bubbly to your holiday table and leave them with an irresistible craving for more fermented goodness in the months to come (;

Pie Crust Making Workshop

Monday November 21st in Grant Hill & Tuesday December 13th in Encinitas 10AM to 2PM

Explore the finer points of pastry in the form of a standard ‘butter crust’ as well as a ‘sourdough’ and even a ‘grain-free’ version, to be filled with seasonal favorites like ‘apple/berry’ ‘creamy pumpkin puree’ or ‘chocolate maple pecan’ goodness.  Workshop participants will enjoy pie samples, as well as take home their very own pie-crust ready to fill and bake.

Handcrafted Chocolates & Truffles Workshop

Monday December 5th in Normal Heights & Saturday December 17th in Mt. Helix

Replace the ubiquitous See’s Christmas candy box with a tray of tantalizing confections, crafted by your own two hands from only the purest, organic and fair-trade ingredients and sure to please the most die-hard chocolate connoisseur at your holiday gathering.  We will experiment with both GAPS and non-GAPS recipes in this finger-liking-good workshop.

Holiday Gift Making Workshop

Friday December 9th in Point Loma 10AM to 2PM

Attendees at this festive workshop will go home with more than just a fun holiday memory, they’ll also be toting a basket full of gift bags & jars filled with nourishing and delicious offerings like ‘buttermilk soaked granola’ sweet & spicy 'crispy nuts', 70's style ‘French onion chip dip’ and the always popular chocolate/almond 'Nookies'.  Whether gifts for loved ones or a much-deserved reward for the holiday giver themselves, these festive and tasty treats are sure to put participants in the celebratory mood!

Admiral’s Barge San Diego Holiday Parade of Lights Parties

Sunday December 11th & 18th 5PM to 8PM

Summertime on the bay is dreamy, but truth be told, it’s the winter months that capture the heart of this sailor’s wife.  Some of my most dearly cherished memories were made on our now retired 1933 Angelman wooden ketch- most especially during the Parade of Lights parties we hosted for family and friends on our perfectly situated mooring ball in the Laurel Street anchorage.  Providence has long since taken her well-deserved rest, but that won’t stop us from recreating the magic of those Christmas boat-parade parties on our ‘new’ 1967 decommissioned Four Star US Navy Admiral’s Barge!  We are delighted to have this opportunity to help you and yours create sweet Christmas memories like ours, that are sure to last a lifetime.