Home Trends
A new year brings new oppor­tunities to refresh your living space and add new colors into your life. These five trends are all about incorporating more of yourself and your lifestyle into your home, whether it’s answering your need for a serene escape or dialing up the energy with vibrant surroundings.
Bring in Nature
Soothing earthy tones help bring a sense of calm and balance indoors. When designing with nature in mind, use gray­/green tones to connect your aesthetic with the serene elements of the outdoors. Incorporate nature’s palette with greens in fabrics, accessories and even on the walls. Wood and stone materials naturally complement these shades for a look that’s cohesively pleasing and peaceful.
Stylish Sophistication
If you’re aiming to infuse some sophistication with an update to a favorite space, opt for a monochromatic look in a dark (almost black)hue. The approach is simultaneously bold and classic, but the secret to this trend is finding a shade that’s rich and deep, but not quite black, then complementing it with fabrics and
furnishings that let the hint of color shine.

Add Comfort and Warmth
Treating your home like a sanctuary never goes out of style, and one way to create a soothing, inviting space is through the use of cozy neutrals. Whether it’s applied to a bedroom retreat or a more bustling space like
the living room, a neutral palette can add to the allure of comfort and warmth. Keep the visual interest strong by incorporating subtle patterns, textures and layers of complementary neutral colors. Find more 2022 color trends and design
inspiration at Valspar.com.

Brush On The Color

Using quality brushes can provide you with a smooth, professional finish, but depending on the surface you’re painting, different sizes and types of brushes can help you achieve the desired look. Achieving ultra-clean edges and a smooth finish is the goal for DIY painting. Perfect for interior use with latex paints and stains, the Valspar Wall and Trim 3­Brush Multi­-Pack is a convenient option that includes flat and angled brushes in multiple sizes. Those hard-to-reach corners may be tricky, but a proper angled brush can make all the difference.

Supplementing meals and snacks with powerful, versatile ingredients can take healthy eating from bland and boring to delicious and adventurous.

Take your breakfasts, appetizers, dinners and desserts to new heights while maintaining nutrition goals with naturally nutritious and surprisingly versatile California Prunes. Rich and smooth with an ability to enhance both sweet and savory flavors, they can expand your menu with nearly endless powerful
pairing options.

One serving of 4-5 prunes packs a
powerful punch of vitamins, minerals,
antioxidants and fiber. Together, these
nutrients form a web of vital functions
that support overall health.

Whole, diced or pureed, the versatility of prunes allows you to enhance the flavor of recipes from morning to night in dishes like Citrus Breakfast Toast, which brings together vitamin B6 and copper
from prunes and vitamin C from citrus to support a healthy immune system.

Try Caramelized Onion, Mozzarella, Prune and Thyme Flatbreads for a tasty family meal, and while you wait for dinner to cook, you can serve up Prune, Mozzarella and Basil Skewers. These easy appetizers provide several key nutrients. Mozzarella is a good source of calcium and prunes provide vitamin K and copper, all of which support overall bone health.

Make dessert a bit better for you but equally delectable with a vegan option like gluten-free, plant-based Prune and Almond Truffles. The soluble fiber in prunes helps lower serum cholesterol and blunt the effects of excessive sod­ium in the diet. Nuts like almonds provide good fats that help lower the risk for heart disease. Find more recipe ideas at
CaliforniaPrunes.org

Caramelized Onion, Mozzarella, Prune and Thyme Flatbreads
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 4 flatbreads
Caramelized Onions:
2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup butter, 6 large yellow sweet onions, sliced into thin half circles, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, coarse kosher salt to taste
Flatbreads:
4 personal flatbreads, 1 cup caramelized onions, 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, 10 California Prunes, diced small, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
sea salt to taste, coarsely ground black pepper to taste
To make caramelized onions: Preheat oven to 400 F. In large stockpot over medium-low heat, warm oil and melt butter. Add onions and cover; cook 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add thyme sprigs and season with salt, to taste; turn pan lid slightly ajar. Place pot in oven 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
To make flatbreads: Preheat oven to broil. On sheet pan, toast flatbreads under broiler 4 minutes, or until toasted, flipping halfway through. Spread 1/4 cup of caramelized onions over each toasted flatbread.
Refrigerate leftover onions. Tear mozzarella and place over onions. Divide prunes among flat­ breads and place flatbreads under broiler 4­6 minutes until cheese has melted and is beginning to brown. Sprinkle flatbreads with fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Prune and Almond Truffles
Recipe courtesy of Meg of “This Mess is Ours”
Prep time: 45 minutes
Servings: 24
3 cups Water, 1 cup California Prunes, 1 1/2 cups toasted slivered almonds divided, 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, plus additional, to taste, divided, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla past or extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Boil water and pour over prunes. Soak 30 minutes; drain. In food processor fitted with “S” blade, pulse 1/2 cup toasted almonds with salt, to taste, until fine crumbs form. Transfer to shallow bowl and set aside. Add remaining almonds to food processor with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cocoa powder. Pulse 30 seconds to combine. Add prunes, vanilla paste and almond extract; process until combined. Mixture should be creamy with slight texture from almond crumbs. Transfer prune mixture to bowl and refrigerate 1 hour. Once chilled, use small cookie scoop to portion out individual truffles on parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently roll each truffle in reserved toasted almond crumbs. Store on parchment-lined plate in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Serve chilled.

Citrus Breakfast Toast
Prep time: 13 minutes
Cook time: 2 minutes
Servings: 2
Prune Puree:
16 ounces pitted California Prunes, 1/2 cup hot water, 1 large citrus fruit, peels and piths removed with knife, sliced into rounds, 1 1/2 tablespoons raw sugar, 4 tablespoons sunflower butter, 2 slices whole-grain sourdough, bread, toasted to
desired darkness, 2 tablespoons prune puree,1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 2 California Prunes, finely diced, Caramelized Onion, Mozzarella, Prune and
Thyme Flatbreads
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 4 flatbreads
Caramelized Onions:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup butter
To make prune puree: In blender, pulse prunes and water to combine then blend
until smooth, pourable consistency forms, scraping sides, if necessary. Store in airtight container up to 4 weeks. To make bruleed citrus wheels: Place citrus wheels on baking sheet and divide sugar evenly among each piece. Using circular motion, pass flame of culinary torch repeatedly over sugar until it boils and turns lightly charred and amber. To build toast: Spread 2 tablespoons sunflower butter on each piece of toast. Top each with 1 tablespoon prune puree
spread evenly across sunflower butter. Sprinkle each evenly with sunflower seeds and diced prunes. Top each with half broiled citrus and serve. Alteration: Use broiler set on high instead of culinary torch to caramelize sugar.

Prune, Mozzarella and Basil Skewers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 5
5 pieces prosciutto, halved lengthwise (optional), 10 California Prunes, 10 basil leaves,10 cherry-size mozzarella balls If using prosciutto, fold each half in half lengthwise so width of prune is wider than width of prosciutto. Starting at one end of prosciutto, wrap one prune; repeat with remaining prosciutto. Set aside. Wrap one basil leaf around each mozzarella ball then thread onto skewer. Thread one prune or prosciutto-wrapped prune onto each skewer.