Olive Oil Lemon Curd and Camp Blogaway

You won’t notice the butter is missing in this smooth and creamy olive oil lemon curd.

About five years, I attended my first blogging conference. Food conferences in general were quite foreign to me back then. The thought of maneuvering my way through a crowd of hundreds of strangers made me extremely uncomfortable and anxious.

Camp Blogaway describes itself as a the original bootcamp for food & recipe bloggers, “A Little Slice of Food Blogging Heaven.” Now that didn’t sound too intimidating. And it wasn’t. The intimate setting, the retreat in the San Bernardino National Forest, the warm and welcoming attendees were what brought me back to Camp Blogaway every year since then.

Last weekend was my fifth time attending Camp Blogaway. Former PR guru and food blogger Patti Londre, our fearless leader and the organizer of the camp, makes sure that every year is special. The seminars are unique and the speakers are amazing. I have never been disappointed with the talks.

Even though I have been blogging for almost 7 years, there is always something new for me to learn. Sure the bunk beds aren’t the most comfortable (Mimi Avocado’s solution is to bring a roll of egg cart foam for extra comfy padding), your roomie might be a snorer (bring ear plugs or sleeping pills) and the meals can be hit or miss (they have to accommodate a lot of dietary requests at this camp!).

But the experience you gain, the contacts you make and the friendships you forge are truly priceless.

Some of the highlights of this year’s camp include:

• Interview with food advocate Phil Lempert/Supermarket Guru
• Mind-blowing pinterest strategies by Maura Wall Hernandez/mom.me and  The Other Side of The Tortilla
• Invaluable PR insights from Dalyn Miller
• Insightful panel discussion with our brand and PR reps about working with bloggers

Patti also makes sure the brands sponsoring our camp are top notch. No junky, processed food companies are good enough for Patti. This year we had Potandon Produce, Canadian Lentils, North Carolina Sweet Potatoes, Wilton, Cabot Creamery, Sanguinity Red Walnuts, Wente Vineyards, Mann’s Packing Company, California Almonds and my personal favorite Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs. This is the only blogging conference where you can sit with brand and PR reps all weekend and get to know about each other. In fact, my relationship with Safest Choice Eggs began at my very first time at Camp Blogaway.

Fun demos and terrific speakers!

Not only did these companies provide us with swag to go, but we also enjoyed their products in the meals prepared at camp. Product demos can be rather dull to watch, but I really enjoy learning about the ingredients I use.

Did you know that Canada is the world’s top exporter of lentils?

Did you know that lentils are a type of pulse?

Do you know what a pulse is?

How about the fact that in 2014, “potato” was the 11th most popular food search item according to google. Let’s get crackin’ on those potato recipes, right?

A medium sweet potato provides over 300% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.

Just like sweet potatoes,  you want to store them in a cool, dark place – not the refrigerator.

Almonds are high in the good monounsaturated fat, high in antioxidants and can lower your glycemic index.

Delicious foodie sponsors!

There are no cliques at Camp Blogaway. Patti encourages everyone to rotate and sit in a different table, to meet and chat with different people throughout the weekend. Those parties you didn’t get invited to at the big conferences? Everyone is invited to any partying happening back in the cabins at Camp Blogaway.

Returning every year to camp is like returning to my happy place with dear friends. Some of the first friends I made at Blogaway four years ago are still my dear friends today like Jeanne/Jolly Tomato, Valentina/Cooking on the Weekends, Cathy/She Paused 4 Thought, Dorothy/Shockingly Delicious, Andrew/Blog Tutor, Erika/In Erika’s Kitchen and Priscilla/She’s Cookin’.

Camp Blogaway has the friendliest foodies!

I’ve made new friends each year, like Sara/Average Betty, Mimi/Mimi Avocado, Stephanie/Recipe Renovator, Sabrina/The Tomato Tart, Lana/Bibberche, Deb/Deb’s Kitchen, Sanam/My Persian Kitchen, Jean/Gluten-Free Doctor, Barbara/Barbara Cooks, Cheryl/Black Girl Chefs Whites, Sara/My Imperfect Kitchen and Gary/Cooking Outdoors. I have also been blessed to befriend and receive priceless advice from food styling Goddess Denise Vivaldo, food photography expert Christina Peters and PR extraordinaire, Trina Kaye.

This year, I got to know Taryn/Phoenix Bites, Art and Stephen/Latino Foodie, Beth/OMG Yummy, Valerie/The Foodie Medic, Louise/Geez Louise and Chrystal/Happy Mothering. So many friends — I can’t name them all!

photo courtesy of Cathy Arkle from She Paused 4 Thought

Last year, I was invited to speak at Camp Blogaway with my partner, Mary/California Greek Girl, to talk about self-publishing. You know, Mary and I first met at Camp Blogaway a few years back. This year, I was invited by Safest Choice Eggs to demo this Olive Oil Lemon Curd. I wasn’t nervous. My blogging friends were there supporting me.

And yes, you read that right. You can create a smooth and creamy lemon curd without the butter. Just use a mild flavored or citrus infused olive oil.

Olive Oil Lemon Curd

Author:

Laura Bashar

The butter has been replaced with heart healthy olive oil to make this lemon curd smooth and dreamy. Recipe adapted from Two Extra Virgins

Ingredients:

• 3 oz extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3 TBS lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Using a heavy saucepan over medium heat pour in:
• 3 oz extra virgin olive oil
2. When oil is hot, whisk in until dissolved:
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3. Stir in:
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3 TBS lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp salt
4. Whisk in until smooth:
• 6 egg yolks
5. Cook egg mixture, whisking constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil or your curd will curdle.
6. Immediately pour lemon curd into a clean jar and cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally.
7. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Notes:

Serving Suggestions: Serve with scones, muffins or toast like jam. Use as a tart filling. You can even stir it into your oatmeal or morning yogurt. Curd will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Cooking Tips: Choose a mild flavored or lemon infused olive oil. As the eggs are cooked at low temperature, use pasteurized eggs to remove risk of salmonella poisoning.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Yield: Serves 12

Cook Time: 20 mins

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Sometimes in life you have to make that step to do what is uncomfortable. The rewards are immeasurable. I started taking my blog seriously when I first attended camp and I haven’t looked back since. It was the first time I spent a weekend away from my husband and kids. My first Mommy getaway, and I’ve looked forward to it ever year since.

Camp Blogaway has made me a better blogger, better photographer, better mommy and a happier person. I always feel refreshed, inspired and happily exhausted after a weekend at camp. But don’t take my word for it. Read what other foodie have to say here.

Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and been surprised at what happened next?