Cane River Green Market to host Fall Harvest markets

The Cane River Green Market will hold special “Fall Harvest” markets on Oct. 10 and Oct. 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the downtown riverbank.

Besides fresh fruits, vegetables and plants, customers can choose from a selection of “value-added products” including farm fresh eggs, homemade breads, jams, jellies, pickles, honey and much more.

Craft vendors will also be on site with hand-made crafts such as woodwork, artwork, jewelry, stained glass, soaps, pottery, furniture and more.

On Oct. 10, enjoy live music by The Back Porch Band from 10 a.m. to noon. The band primarily plays traditional ballads, folk and Celtic music. Band members play many instruments including violins, dulcimers, cello, harp, wash boards and Irish whistles.

WesMar Farms will be onsite with their goat milk products including milk, cheeses and soaps. Don’t miss your opportunity for smoked boudain, hot tamales and pork steaks from Uncle Waine’s BBQ. The Natchitoches Master Gardeners will also be vendors at the Oct. 10 market selling a variety of plants.

Patrons can enjoy live music, complimentary coffee and free "Louisiana Cooking" magazines while supplies last. There will be fun for the kids as well. Children can enjoy fall craft projects and there will also be fall decorations on the riverbank, making the perfect setting for fall family pictures.

For more information about the market, please call the Cane River Green Market (318) 352-CRGM or visit the web site at www.canerivergreenmarket.com.



Source & Photo Credit: City of Natchitoches

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Christmas Festival accepting entries for Lighted Boat Parade

The Natchitoches Christmas Festival is now accepting applications for the 2009 Christmas Festival Lighted Boat Parade.

The Lighted Boat Parade, which is the first major event of the 2009 Christmas Festival, will take place on Friday, December 4 at 6 p.m. on Cane River Lake in downtown Natchitoches. Barges, boats, canoes, virtually anything that floats safely can enter. There is no entry fee; however, every entry must have lights.

First place will receive $250, second place receives $150 and third place receives $100. Additionally, the Cane River Waterway Commission is offering a $200 safety award to the entry that exhibits the best water safety features. Miss Merry Christmas and the Christmas Belles are the parade’s official judges.

This event has become one of the most popular events of the Festival season. This year it has been expanded to make it an even greater spectacle and to offer the opportunity for everyone to become a part of the fun of the Festival. The sight of brightly decorated vessels floating up and down Cane River adds greatly to the atmosphere of Festival weekend.

To enter the barge parade, or for more information, call Lori Tate at 318-357-8744.


For more information about the Festival or Natchitoches, call Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce at (318) 352-6894 or the Natchitoches Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-259-1714. For more information on the Christmas Festival, visit www.christmasfestival.com.

Source: Natchitoches Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Bayou Blends Seasoning

Red River Parish

Blended and manufactured right here in Louisiana, Bayou Blends Seasoning has been spicing up dishes with Louisiana flavor since 1999. Bayou Blends is a Certified Louisiana product as well as Certified Cajun product.

Bayou Blends is 100% ALL Natural with many varieties: Beef Rub, Chicken Rub, Pork Rub, Seafood Rub, Hot Rub, Seafood Boil, Venison Rub, Duck and Dove Rub and Quail Rub.

Locally Bayou Blends can be purchased at Bayou Walk Kroger on Youree Drive and Maxwell's Market on Line Avenue in Shreveport, Brookshire's in Natchitoches, and Rivertown in Coushatta. Shop online at www.bayoublends.com.

Bayou Blends Seasonings make great gifts for hunters, bridal showers, housewarming, Christmas, or any other occasion.

Bayou Blends Recipes

Buy Local products, support Louisiana Businesses!

Support Louisiana businesses, products and restaurants. When you get the chance, choose Louisiana products over others it benefits all of us.

Christmas Ideas from Louisiana

Christmas is right around the corner. I wanted to share this information with readers of Louisiana Trekker who are shopping for Christmas gifts.

These North Louisiana businesses offer everything for your holiday entertaining as well as possible gift ideas. And by supporting these companies you are helping the local economy. Keep your hard earned money close to home. Support local farmers and businesses.

The Louisiana Products Guide includes cajun seasonings, spices and rubs, honey, syrup, smoked sausage, fish fry mix, gourmet foods, cobbler mixes, pecans, wine, produce, fruit, candy, nuts of every kind, coffee, mayhaws, muscadines, hot pepper sauce, Natchitoches meat pies, jelly, jams and more. Click here for a list of North Louisiana businesses who have products that would make great Christmas gifts.

There are still some farmer's markets that are open. Click here for a listing of Farmer's Markets in North Louisiana.

This product guide includes the following Louisiana businesses: Allens Inc., Bayou Blends Seasoning, Inc., Bayou Queen Bee Farms, Bellevue Meat Processing, Breau Jo's, Cajun 2 Geaux,

Cajun Gold Catfish Processors, Calhoun Bend Mill, Inc., Cane River Island Foods, LLC, Catdaddy Sauce COmpany, Chauvin HOney Farm, Chef Hans' Gourmet Food, Chef Lorenzo, LLC, Cookie Cone Corporation, Casa de Sue Winery, Clear Lake Apiary, Company Farm Pecans, Crawfish City, Debbie Roy Brokerage Co., Dawson Farms, Shreveport Macaroni Mfg., Du Paul Enterprises,

Dumas Candy Company, Dove's Nest, Down Home Meats, E.B.’s Tamale Company, Earl Roy Produce, Eddies BBQ, LLC, Evan's Eden Fruit Farm,

Feliciana Delights, Inc.,Fertitta's Delicatessen, Farmer's Seafood Kitchens, Inc., Foremost Dairy, Food Way the Louisiana Way - Tasty, Haring's Pride Catfish, Harold Quebedeaux Produce, Honey Bayou Farm, Hummer and Son Honey Farm,

J. Bernard Crawfish Processing, Inc., Jelks Incorporated, Kinloch Plantation, King's Fish Market, Louisiana Cajun Classics, Louisiana Crawfish Company, Louisiana Pecans, Louisiana Sauce Factory,

McCain Farms, Ma's Cajun Meat Pies,Mitcham Farm, LLC, Minsky Pecan Market, Inc., Moe's Crawfish Kitchen, Natchitoches Meat Pie Company, Natchitoches Pecans, Inc., Music Mountain Water Company, Noah's Potato Chip Company, Norris Syrup Mill, LLC,

The Ole Homestead, On Mayhaw Hill, Panola Pepper Corporation, Peter's Crescent City Connection, LLC, Pleasant Acres Jams & Jellies, Plunkett Farms, Pomidoro House, Poole Produce, Poverty Point Produce, Rhymes Ohh La! La!, Ronnie's Bar B Que Sauce, Rosalie Sugarmill, Inc., Robertson Fruit & Produce, Roy's Best of the Bayou, Sonshine Orchards,

Sky Lin Farms, South Franklin Farmer's Market, LLC, Spring Branch Orchard, Sugarmakers, Sweet & Sons, Three Rivers Fish Company, The Nutcracker Company, LLC, Robert M. Tippett, Warren's Khoury Candy Company, The Yam Company, Ybar Farms.

The Louisiana Products Guide includes a host of businesses that manufacture or grow a variety of products right here in North Louisiana. Take a moment to view the list and shop at home. You won’t be disappointed. There are many talented, hard-working individuals who would love to visit with you and share their products with you.

Included in this product guide are nurseries, gourd crafts and purple martin houses made from gourds, high-end gas barbecue grills, hay, animal bedding, cotton items, whole cotton seeds, sterling silver wine glass charms, sterling silver wedding cake charms, gift baskets, pecan trees, handmade soaps, lotions, scrubs and other personal care products, clothing (jumpers, smocks, t-shirts), pillows, garden benches and fresh cut flowers and plants.

North Louisiana Businesses in this guide include:
Doug Young Nursery, Gourds - Gowards - Goards, G & C Nursery, Hickory Hill Nursery, Iron Works, Kingsland Ranch, Lady Lariat Animal Bedding, John Langston Nursery, Lagniappe Cotton Gin, LLC, Louisiana Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University, Marymade , Pelican State Baskets, Red Top Pecan Company, Robert Strange Nursery, Rocky Mount Gourds, Skin Soothers Handmade Toiletries, St. Augustine Historical Society, Sans Souci, Tensas Co-op Gin and Waters Edge Nursery. This list is by no means inclusive. There are many, many Louisiana businesses. If you know of one that isn't on this list, please let Louisiana Trekker know at louisianatrekker@gmail.com or write Publisher, Louisiana Trekker, PO Box 208, Elm Grove, LA 71051.

Source: Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry website

If you have a business or product that you would like added to the site, please email the Publisher at LouisianaTrekker@gmail.com or mail information to P.O. Box , Elm Grove, LA 71051.

Support Louisiana businesses, products and restaurants. When you get the chance, choose Louisiana products over others it benefits all of us.

Trekker for Foodies: Homemade Pancakes & Norris' Syrup

Amy’s Homemade Pancakes
My children love pancakes. This is a fast, easy recipe for homemade pancakes. The hardest part is getting the pan or griddle to the correct temperature. I cook up the entire batch and freeze the leftovers. My little ones like to help me mix the batter together. Enjoy!

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Milk (enough to make the batter easy to pour)
2 teaspoons vanilla or vanilla nut butter (can use almond extract also)

(optional ingredients: blueberries, mini chocolate chips, be creative and enjoy.)

Mix dry ingredients into large bowl. Add egg, melted butter, and milk. Mix thoroughly with a spoon. It may be a bit lumpy but that’s normal. Add vanilla.

Heat skillet or griddle on medium high. Pour batter by ladle onto skillet or griddle. The size of the pancakes depends upon how much batter used. For little ones make little pancakes the size of a silver dollar. For adults can make larger pancakes. Turn pancakes when they start to bubble up. Heat on other side for a bit longer.

Take pancakes out of pan and spread butter on them. Serve with your favorite syrup (Mine is Norris’ Moon Shine Syrup, made right here in North Louisiana; my husband enjoys Norris’ Best Syrup it has a stronger taste). These are also good with your favorite breakfast food of sausage, bacon, eggs, ham, grits, etc.

Product information: Norris Syrup Mill, LLC, P.O. Box 2696, 227 Laird St., West Monroe, LA 71294-2696 Contact: Pat Norris or Steven Norris at 318-396-8355 or email: syrupco@jam.rr.com Products: Cane syrup and syrup products

If you have any Louisiana Recipes you'd like to share, please email me at LouisianaTrekker@gmail.com. Check back often, future posts on Louisiana Trekker will highlight other great Louisiana products.

Support Louisiana businesses, products and restaurants. When you get the chance, choose Louisiana products over others it benefits all of us.