Strawberry Season

 It is Strawberry season in Wisconsin! I was so excited they ripened in time to take our cousins when they visited two weeks ago. We had a lovely time. Sine there was so many of us we got a bit carried away and ended up picking 28 quarts! 

 I could of stayed all day in the strawberry patch! 

 Needless to say, we have gotten our fill of strawberries. (Enough to give me hives several times! Ha!) Including strawberry shortcake, strawberries and cream, plenty of plain strawberries and strawberry muffins! I used my favorite muffin recipe, omitting the cinnamon and adding chopped strawberries and vanilla extract. Strawberries and vanilla go so well together!

We also made 28 pints of strawberry jam! 

What is your favorite way to eat Strawberries? Have you ever picked your own?

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Peach Crumble

This summer the fruit has been luscious and plentiful. And I must admit, I have been in heaven! Cherries everyday for a month straight. Blueberries in muffins and smoothies, atop oatmeal and cereal and by the handfuls. Raspberries, blackberries and peaches so juicy and perfect. And apricots that taste like apricots. It has been pure bliss!

I haven't had too much of a chance to make and bake with all the fruit (it gets eaten too fast!), but have managed to squirrel away a bit in the freezer. This week as I stared at a basketful of almost-overripe peaches I decided a simple crumble would be the perfect dessert. A quick chop and mix and it could bake while we ate dinner. A lovely ending to the meal!

This is just a basic crumble top found in just about every cookbook. This one I barrowed from "Family Meals" by Maria Helm Sinskey, with a couple of tweaks. And since Mandy (the non-dairy eater) was out of town, I used butter!

Crumble Top

1/2 cup soft butter

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3-4 cups chopped fruit

Mix together flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture starts to stick together. Sprinkle on top of fruit in 9" pie plate or 9" x 9" pan or pretty tart pan. Bake at 400 for forty minutes.

If you think your fruit is too tart or too juicy, you can mix a bit of sugar and flour with the fruit too. My peaches were perfect and the crumble was quite sweet enough. There might have been a bit too much too. I think if I had a bit less, the top would have crisped up a bit more instead of being slightly gooey in the center.

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Dining Room Update-Apples!

The cool weather has also brought cloudy days here. So instead of trying to fight it, I have decided it is time to get cozy! (There is a fine line between cozy photos and uninspiring dark photos, I have tried my best to stay on the cozy side!)

 This week I switched out the fruit prints for just apple prints. I love how the red and orange apples make a stronger statement. And they are perfect for this time of year!

The lamp is also a newer addition. It adds a lovely bit of coziness in the evening.

 My previous post and the old look is posted HERE. I am really liking the new more cohesive look. It is a bit bolder then the mixed fruit.

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Blueberry Jam

One of my favorite things about summer is collecting the abundance of fruit. (I am kind of squirrel like, packing as many varieties as I can find into the freezer for winter baking.)
Last weekend my sister gifted me a five pound box of blueberries. She knows how to make me happy! I put a couple of pounds in the freezer, a pound in the refrigerator for eating and that left a few pounds for Jam!

I had visions of all the lovely pictures I was going to take of the luscious blueberry jam, a pot full of fresh blueberries, the thickening fruit bubbling in the pot, a bowlful of crystalline sugar flowing into the jam, but that did not happen.....

Once, I got everything set up for jam and put the pot on the stove, my Mom came in and distracted me. I was also trying to wash the dinner dishes, stir the fruit and clear a space on the kitchen table. As you can see, too much multi-tasking! Ah well! I did remember to take a few quick photos of the jam in jars at lest.

My favorite way to make jam is with the No Sugar Needed Sure-Gel, that way I can use little sugar as I like. These were lovely sweet blueberries so I decreased the sugar to 2 cups to 8 cups of berries.
The jars look very vintage don't they? I just grabbed a few from the stash in the basement not even noticing until they were filled with jam. Isn't the "Self Sealing" Kerr jar neat?

Delicious! Of course, I had to whip up a batch of biscuits so we could all sample the Blueberry Jam! Blue Ribbon for sure!

Are you planning on making jam this summer? What is your favorite recipe?

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Apple Crisp Deluxe

Apple picking means yummy apple things to eat. This weekend it was Apple Crisp Deluxe. Well.....that is what I call it. I made a few changes to the standard recipe to make it a bit better. I don't know if it is "deluxe" or not, but that is what I called it.

An apple peeler is a necessity for apple lovers! How can you go wrong with this old fashioned device? And it makes peeling quick as a wink!

So what makes Apple Crisp Deluxe? That was my thought exactly. Since crisp is all about the crumb topping, more topping would make it better, right? Or two layers of apples and topping. And how about adding extra apple cider for a crisp fall flavor? 

Apple Crisp Deluxe

6 cups peeled and sliced apples

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour (if I made it again, I would try it without, it didn't seem to need thickening)

Crumb Topping

3/4 cup oats

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup shortening or butter

 Mix apples, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour in a large bowl.

 Mix oats, flour and sugar, cut in shortening until crumbs form. This takes a bit of mixing to get the shortening dispersed evenly.

 Place half the apples in a 9 x 9 baking dish with half the crumb topping. Layer the rest of the apples and topping in the pan. Drizzle 1/4 cup apple cider over everything.

 Bake at 375 until the apples are soft. About 35 minutes.

Yum! It sure didn't last long!

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Apples and Strawberries

 I love apple blossoms, they are so lovely. (and Pink!)

 Last year I planted this little sapling in my backyard. I was horrified to discover, once the weather started to warm, that hungry bunnies had nibbled off the twigs on the bottom half. It now just has three branches on top!

 But on the top of each branch there is a little cluster of blossoms. It is rather a surprise as I wasn't expecting any flowers after the hungry bunnies. I am so glad it survived and is apparently thriving!

 I don't know about a bumper crop of apples, but we might get one of strawberries!!

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Nutrition Goals for August.....week by week!

Week 1 – Increase intake of fruits and vegetables!

Be sure to eat a variety in all colors.  Each color represents different phytochemicals that work at the cellular level providing anti oxidants as well as protection from diseases. 

Week 2 – Skip late night snacks!

Try not to eat before bed.  If you have to, aim for

Low fat cottage cheese, part skim cheese sticks or a

Boiled egg.  Avoid carbs at this time unless you are an

Endurance athlete who trains in the morning.

Week 3 – Stop drinking

Your calories!

A 10 ounce glass of fruit juice each day can add up to 51,100 calories in a year – or about 15 pounds.  If you need a change from water, try green tea or coffee.

Week 4 – Make sure you are getting whole grains!

Whole grains are higher in fiber, protein and other nutrients you need!  Where to get them?  100% whole grain breads, brown or black rice, quinoa, oatsWeek 1 – Increase intake of fruits and vegetables!

Be sure to eat a variety in all colors.  Each color represents different phytochemicals that work at the cellular level providing anti oxidants as well as protection from diseases. 

Week 2 – Skip late night snacks!

Try not to eat before bed.  If you have to, aim for

Low fat cottage cheese, part skim cheese sticks or a

Boiled egg.  Avoid carbs at this time unless you are an

Endurance athlete who trains in the morning.

Week 3 – Stop drinking

Your calories!

A 10 ounce glass of fruit juice each day can add up to 51,100 calories in a year – or about 15 pounds.  If you need a change from water, try green tea or coffee.

Week 4 – Make sure you are getting whole grains!

Whole grains are higher in fiber, protein and other nutrients you need!  Where to get them?  100% whole grain breads, brown or black rice, quinoa, oats 

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POMEGRANATE

The fruit that has been mentioned in more ancient tablets and stories, perhaps they believe this was a magical fruit that gave them strength and good health. In Greek Mythology, the Pomegranate is known as the “Fruit of the Dead”. The story of Persephona and how she was tricked by Hades in to eating 6 seeds of the Pomegranate, he who ate any food in the underworld was doomed to spend eternity there. This is how the Greeks explained the 6 months that there is not crop growth, and explains the seasons.

Now a days we do the same thing, but in a different way, at a nice Martini Lounge, you could order a Pomegranate Martini. They make all kinds of mixed drinks with Pomegranate, you could also find them on your local grocery story as a healthydrink option. In this article we will talk about the health benefits of Pomegranate and perhaps this might change your views on this exotic fruit.

HEALTH BENEFITS FROM POMEGRANATE

Packed with antioxidants equal to those in green tea and red wine, and especially loaded with vitamin C and potassium, pomegranates are believed to help:

Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Pomegranate juice may improve blood flow to the heart in people with ischemic coronary heart disease (CHD).

Pomegranate juice may help stop plaque from building up in blood, vessels. There are no negative effects to drinking pomegranate juice (even on blood sugar levels or body weight). Pomegranate juice may even be able to help prevent heart disease in people who do not already have it.

Lower Risk of Cancer, Especially Prostate and Breast

Pomegranate juice may slow prostate cancer growth. Antioxidants are known to help prevent and repair DNA damage that can lead to cancer. Men who have already had preliminary treatment for prostate cancer may benefit from a daily dose of pomegranate juice. The juice appeared to suppress the growth of cancer cells and the increase in cancer cell death in lab testing.

Reduce Cholesterol

Pomegranate helps stop plaque build up and helps maintain cholesterol levels down. The antioxidants in the juice may help keep cholesterol in a form that is less damaging, and may also reduce plaque that has already built up in vessels.

Protects Your Skin

Packed with potent antioxidants (including powerful ellagic acid), pomegranates help limit the damage of UV rays. They also defend against free radicals and increase production.

DELICIOUS DRINK RECIPE Cielo Pomegranate Martini

2 oz. El Diamante del Cielo Reposado Tequila

8 oz. Pomegranate Juice

3 oz. Orange Juice

1 oz. Cointreau

1/2 oz. Lime Juice

1 splash(es) Fresca

1 slice(s) Mango

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The banana

The Banana is by far one of the most recognized food product in the world. We think of the thick dense forest in South America, they are also found in most parts of the world with the same type of weather.

It has a lot of great beneficial qualities that include power sustain for those long work out sessions, protects against muscle craps during workouts, High in potassium and low in salt, are able to lower blood pressure, and protect against heart attack and stroke. Rich in pectin, bananas

aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.

We have developed so many different ways to consume bananas over the past few years, such as making it into Smoothies, Banana Chips, Banana Bread, Shakes, and Ice Cream Sundaes.

In this article we’ll talk about all of the great benefits banana does to your body.

HEALTH BENEFITS FROM BANANAS 
 WeightLoss

Bananas are naturally sweet and can help curb your sweet tooth if you get that afternoon sugar craving. One banana has a minimal 90 calories, about one-fourth of the calories you would get from a chocolate candy bar.

 Additionally, about half of the fiber content in bananas is soluble. When soluble fiber reaches your digestive tract, it absorbs water and slows digestion. Food is forced to sit in your stomach for a while, making you feel full. If you have a banana before lunch, you’ll be less likely to overeat when your food comes to the table.

Normal Heart Function

Having a banana at breakfast every day adds a nutrient to your body to support normal heart function. Bananas are rich in potassium. This process keeps electricity flowing throughout your system, which is required to make your heart beat. In cases of severe

potassium deficiency, your heart rhythm may become irregular, which can be deadly. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, you need 4,700 milligrams of potassium on a daily basis. Bananas provide more than 360 milligrams each piece of fruit.

 

Natural Performance Enhancers

There may be a reason why most of the world’s best athletes love bananas. If you’re active, bananas are a great option to fuel your muscles while providing antioxidants and other nutrients sports drinks lack.

They Help Against Depression

A small banana provides 27 mg magnesium, which may help boost mood and reduce feeling blue. Men and women need 420 mg and 320 mg of the mineral per day, respectively. Low levels of this mineral are linked to depression, anxiety, irritability and other mood disorders. Since many of us don’t get enough magnesium in

our diets, consider a banana as your chill pill.

CLASSIC BANANA DRINK

2 Bananas Peeled

1/4 cup of sugar

5 to 8 Ice Cubes

1 table spoon of vanilla

1 egg

Pour ingredients into blender and blend on whip setting for 1 minute. Pour on glass and

enjoy!!!

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