Bill & Karen Evenden ~ New Oak Ranch Olive Orchard ~ Estate Grow Olive Oil

Ojai Lavender Festival

Saturday, June 27, 2009
Libbey Park, Ojai California
A truly Mediterranean experience in beautiful Ojai, California.  The scent of lavender will guide you to this annual Ojai event where you can shop the marketplace for a wide range of Mediterranean products, attend lectures and to learn how to grow and use lavender and simply surround yourself with fellow lavender lovers.

http://www.ojaivalleylavenderfestival.com

Opa’s Soap

We are proud that the owner’s of Opa Soap have chosen New Oak Ranch Buena Vista Essential Oil for use in the pure castile Lavender Soap.  Their handmade, cold processed soap is long lasting and high quality. Check their website for more information about their soap and other products.
http://www.opassoap.com

A Taste of Croatia by Karen Evenden

A Taste of Croatia is a collection of recipes and stories about Karen and Bill’s experiences gathered during their 3 years of living aboard a sailboat in Croatia.  When they arrived in Croatia in June, 2000 they had already spent more than 3 years cruising the Med: they had explored the coastlines and villages of France, Italy, Greece and Turkey.  Croatia’s devastating war had recently ended and they had no idea as to what to expect … they were uncertain if they would stay for a day, a week or a month.

However, it did not take long for them to become completely seduced … with more than 1,200 islands and islets, beautiful anchorages, ancient villages, warm and welcoming people, enticing farmers’ markets, good wine and a simple, healthy and tasty cuisine it was a cruiser’s paradise.  And for a confirmed foodie, it was a gold mine.  Thanks to an often painful past - forty years of communism followed by 10 years of war – daily meals were prepared in the same manner as they had for generations.  Rural Croatians were continuing the practices that many of our fellow Americans are now trying to achieve.  Simple and tasty meals are prepared using ingredients that are locally and seasonally produced and their farming practices have been proven to be sustainable. 

Bill and Karen’s time in the Mediterranean, and especially Croatia, inspired their commitment to the land and their selection of crops planted on New Oak Ranch.
http://www.atasteofcroatia.com