Thanks to our friends at San Diego Magazine, below is a list of great San Diego County pumpkin patches.  Each is a little different, but all are a great way to get your family in the Fall mood.

Have Fun and don’t forget your Camera!

Courtesy of San Diego Magazine

“Bates Nut Farm – Valley Center
It’s a classic San Diego destination in the fall and perfect for picking pumpkins. The sprawling pumpkin patch and farm is way out in Valley Center and open every day until Halloween from 9am to 5pm. Don’t miss the cute general store where they sell dried nuts and fruits and other holiday gift items.

Got Gourds? – Fallbrook
The Welburn Gourd Farm in Fallbrook is the largest supplier of hard-shell gourds in the country, and it’s open to the public daily from 10am to 4pm. There are piles and piles of gourds in every shape, colors and size available for purchase at wholesale prices. Check out their website for centerpiece ideas, tips on how to paint a gourd and more.

Lavender Hill Pumpkins – Fallbrook
Rows and rows of pumpkins are available for the picking at this sprawling Fallbrook farm, open to the public on weekends until the end of October.

Oma’s Pumpkin Patch – Lakeside
Oma’s got more than just rows of pumpkins for the pickin’. There’s also dairy tours, a petting zoo and a Christmas tree farm. The pumpkin patch is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 7pm until November 6.

Summers Past Farms – Alpine
Pumpkin patch for the kids and a gourmet coffee bar for the parents–it’s the perfect way to spend a fall day in Alpine. The pumpkin patch is open until sundown on weekends until the end of October, and Summers Past also has a great herb garden, gift shop and hands-on area where they hold workshops and classes on soap-making, gardening and more.

Pumpkin Station – Various Locations
If you don’t want to trek out to the country, Pumpkin Station manages 5 patches at strip malls and neighborhood spots throughout the city: National City, El Cajon, Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo and Chula Vista. Parking is free at each of their locations, and each one also offers extras like a petting zoo, hay rides and bounce houses for the kids.

Mountain Valley Ranch – Ramona
Pumpkins available for the pickin’ in all shapes and sizes, plus a corn maze and lots of festive, holiday decorations and activities for the family like a corn maze, petting zoo, and corn cannon. Open seven days a week until 6p.m.”

Tip #1:  Fill out a Weekly Calendar.

Getting kids to soccer practice, karate class, or having lunch with a friend mid-week, having your weekly list of commitments in writing can make your week seem less daunting and much more manageable.

Tip #2: Avoid “Over-Booking” Yourself.

Even if you have time to squeeze one more appointment or errand into your day, it’s okay to say no every once in awhile.  Giving yourself plenty of time to get from one appointment to another, or taking that time to take a “breather”, either can completely transform stress into peace.

Tip #3: Weeknights and Weekends are GOLD!

Just as you wouldn’t freely give away a gold watch, you should refrain from giving away your weeknights and weekends.  These are moments that should be time for reflecting, relaxation, or old-fashioned family time.

Usually around the same time every evening, one of your family members asks you, “What’s for dinner?”  What a luxury!  To simply ask a question and have the expectation that a great meal will magically appear on their plate. (not that I wasn’t guilty of this as a kid…)

We both know, there’s a lot that goes into a quality family dinner and it doesn’t happen magically.  A quality meal takes time and planning.

Dinner Studio was not designed to replace your home-cooking, in fact, we believe that your home-cooking is one of the most important gifts you can give to your loved ones, even if you don’t know how to cook.  Sophia Loren once said, “The most indispensable ingredient in home-cooking; love for those you are cooking for.”  How cool is that?

The fact is that creating a culinary masterpiece on a Tuesday evening (after a long day at work or picking up the kids from Karate or Soccer Practice) just isn’t an option.  Dinner Studio was created to give you and your family a healthy, convenient, and delicious dinner option.  Whether you use Dinner Studio dinners one night per week or 3-4 nights, our dinners are designed to save your time and fuel your busy family with real, delicious food.

Enjoy Peace of Mind and Tranquility the next time your family asks you “What’s for Dinner?”

Our Promises

We are proud to introduce Our Promises, a list of healthy food initiatives that we have recently adopted.  Our Promises include No MSG, No HFCS, ALL NATURAL Pork and Poultry, GRASS-FED steaks, Sustainable Seafood, and No Added Preservatives or Fillers. These promises are our way of offering a one of kind dinner experience that provides your family with delicious dinners and gives you more Peace of Mind.

Servings are now Portions

Before today, a meal for one person was referred to as a Serving.  We came to the conclusion that the word “serving” was a little too ambiguous (i.e. 3 tortilla chips per serving), so starting today we’re using Portion.  A Portion is one meal for one adult.  You’ll notice the change on the order menu, when it reads “1 Dinner with 3 Portions”, which is one dinner for a family of 3.

Volume Discounts

We’ve changed our volume discount levels to make them easier to reach and much easier to remember.  From now on, the volume discounts are:

10 Portions

(Save 8%)

20 Portions

(Save 13%)

30 Portions

(Save 21%)

40 Portions

(Save 23%)

60 Portions.

(Save 30%)

Our goal at the Dinner Studio is to provide you and your busy family with HEALTHY, CONVENIENT, TIME-SAVING dinners. Our commitment to quality and service is unmatched and with Our Promises, we strive to make Dinner Studio a practical and integral part of your family life. Dinner Studio can help us all become happier, healthier and enjoy dinner together.

We Hope you enjoy the New Site.