Pomegranate and Pear Salsa

I used several pomegranates in my holiday decorating this year, but now that the holidays are over it's time to eat them!!!

This recipe got rave reviews from all who tried it!!! So I'm passing it along to you!!!

POMEGRANATE AND PEAR SALSA

ALL YOU NEED:

2 pomegranates or 1 3/4 cups of pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup 100% pomegranate juice (I bought POM at Walmart.)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro (Got that at Walmart, also.)
1 medium Bartlett pear, cored and diced
1 Tbsp. sugar

ALL YOU DO:

Cut the ends off the pomegranate like you would an onion. Score each pomegranate and place in a large bowl of water. Break pomegranates open underneath water to free seeds. Pull and break seeds from fruit membrane and seed will float to the bottom. Strain away water and place seeds in a medium mixing bowl.

Add pomegranate juice and lime juice to seeds; toss to evenly coat. Add minced red onion, cilantro, and diced pear; stir to combine. Sprinkle sugar over seed mixture and stir to combine. Serve with baked tortilla chips. Can also be used as a garnish for fish or chicken.

I didn't get any photos BECAUSE IT DIDN'T LAST THAT LONG!!!! I'm tellin' ya...it's that good!!!

This Junkin' Journey...

The wheels are a turnin', and the Junk Jubilee II train is starting to move! It starts off slowly and builds up steam until set-up day arrives. I think set-up day is the hardest and longest day, but also the best day for me, personally. Jan & I, along with our vendors, finally get to see the show come together after months of planning! Last Spring, it was incredible to start the day walking into the 4-H Building and seeing it completely empty. We marked off booth spaces and then started to set up our own booth, so it would be under control by the time the vendors start to arrive. It was so awesome to see everyone so excited and to watch the vendors completely transform the building . I wish we had had a slow motion camera set up!

The excitement continues to build and that night I don't think I slept a wink! First time show, first time vendors...Jan & I were nervous wrecks!!! Friday morning, vendors arrived early to add last minute touches to their booths. A line starts forming at the entrance! Here we go, it's show time!

We were very blessed to have had a wonderful first show! It was so gratifying to see our hard work laid out before us! Our vendors and our attendees were all having such a good time! It was so nice to be surrounded by those who "get it" and even, better, watching the faces of those who were "getting it" for the first time.  And we, along with our family, had a great time!

Now the process starts anew! The initial contracts have been sent out and are coming back in daily. We are kicking around what needs to change and what needs to stay the same. We're working on new t-shirt designs, dreaming up new ways to draw more attendees to the show, trying to figure out the floor plan, ordering signs to make the building easier to find, etc., etc., etc. So many things to think about!!! Jan and I talk almost daily. We are constantly bouncing ideas off each other. We share every little step forward and celebrate every success, no matter how big or small!

Our little junkin' journey has been an extraordinary one! Not just for Jan and I, but for a lot of people who, before Junk Jubilee, had never set up at a show before. Several of these vendors have gone on to start their own occasional sales, been vendors at other shows,  and/or  open their own storefront. Congratulations! It has been an awesome year for so many of us!!!

Many think this business is all about networking, and it certainly is! But I really like to think that we have created our own little Junk Jubilee family! We look forward to seeing our old friends along with our new ones, who we have only met electronically, at Junk Jubilee 2012. The journey continues as we all work diligently to provide a quality show for one and all! We hope you will join our junkin' journey, too!!!

Junk Jubilee
4-H Building on the State Fairgrounds
Des Moines, IA

April 27,28, & 29th
9-6 Friday & Saturday
10-4 Sunday

Junkin' in June

Last June, while we were supposed to be at Aunt Shirley's for our annual Fergafun Family Reunion, Cousin Jan, my sister, Shelli, and I snuck off to Boone, IA to check out an occassional sale called The Junk Refunkery!!!

This is who we met...Dori Austin! That's her on the right. Maybe someday she'll tell me who is standing beside her. Do I see a bit of family resemblance??? She has her very own barn and has monthly sales during the summertime.

Here's her barn. It's red, like a barn is supposed to be. A few weeks ago the barn got a new roof! And, get this,....skylights!

Dori had a lot of really cool stuff! But my camera decided to start acting up so my pictures didn't turn out so good. Darn! But here are a few of the pictures that did turn out!

I just love the color of this chair!

Yep, this is where the camera started doin' weird things....

Here I am...grey, galvanized, and grande!!!

Just by accident we stumbled onto this sale driving through Boone. Once Was is an occasional sale held by Traci Waltz. I didn't get any other photos though. Stupid camera!!!
Then we rushed back to Aunt Shirley's, put on our aprons, and had a family feast!!!

Then, in September, at Junk Bonanza in Minneapolis look who we found!!! Let me tell ya, junkin' at Junk Bonanza is well worth the trip!!!

The Junk Refunkery and Once Was will both be at Junk Jubilee, so be sure and tell them "Hi"!!!

A Dream Becoming A Reality

It started out as idea, which was thrown around, kicked around, and hammered out. It was a "what if?" turning into a "why not?". It was a "if not now, then when?" If not us, then who?  The next step was to hold hands, close our eyes, and jump off the cliff!!!

Thelma and Louise??? Mike and Frank???  No, Jan and Miccia!!! We are cousins...our Mothers are sisters. Jan's Mom, Lois, is no longer with us....my Mom, Audria, is. We were born three weeks apart. What can I say...'57 was a very good year! We complement each other. Jan deals with numbers, while I'm more comfortable with words. Jan is the one who gets things done. I am more of a dreamer. She's the hummingbird and I'm the fat, lazy cat! She makes lists, and I, if I even make one, lose them. She designs patterns. I can barely follow a pattern. She likes to cook. Me? Let's find a restaurant. When I suggested at a family reunion that we all needed to buy vintage campers rather than become "red hat ladies", Jan thought I was nuts and then was the first one to buy a camper. I drug Jan and my sister, Shelli, to Junk Bonanza and now Jan is dumpster diving and checking for treasure left on the curbside. (Ok, I admit it, I stopped along the road and picked up a piece of rusty something or other and, yes, it had manure on it. I did, however, draw the line at plucking tail feathers from the dead pheasant!) We're very different people, who enjoy many of the same things.  So now that we have family, vintage trailers, a love of gardening (hostas, especially) and junkin' in common, we've decided to add a business venture to the mix. We both bring different things to the table. We're like salt and pepper.

So, there it is in a nutshell...the birth of Junk Jubilee.

Has it been easy???  Not always. Interesting?...yes! Fun?...yes! Do we enjoy working for ourselves?..Most definitely!!! Have we met interesting people? Yes, yes, yes!!! Will we be successful? Sure hope so! Are we glad we've chosen this path? I think so!

Is there a moral to this story? Yes! Don't settle for less than you know you can accomplish. Take that risk and run with it. Figure out what you love and do it. Have faith in yourself...call your sister, cousin, or biggest supporter when you don't! Rise to the challenge! Be creative! Surround yourself with people who help you reach for the stars!!!  And remember...you can't jump off a cliff slowly!