Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fruit. Show all posts

9.26.2011

Mosaic Monday

Hello & Happy Monday! Enjoy today's mosaic, and remember: An apple a day keeps the doctor away!


Apple Facts:
(source: Fowler Farms)

* Americans eat approximately 19.6 pounds of fresh apples annually.
* Apples are a member of the rose family.
* Apples are available year-round.
* The most popular variety in the United States is the Red Delicious.
* Fresh apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air.
* 50% of apples grown in the United States are sold fresh
* 50% are made into apple juice, apple sauce or dehydrated apple products.
* There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples grown in the world.
* Almost 1/2 of the U.S. apple crop is processed into apple products.

Have a wonderful day!

8.21.2011

Salivation Sunday

"Avoid fruit and nuts. You are what you eat."
-Jim Davis

Hello! Happy Sunday everyone - I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Today I have an easy recipe to share with you for a weekend brunch or anytime for that matter. Enjoy!


"As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists."
-Joan Gussow

Breakfast Souffle with Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

* Non-stick cooking spray
* 6 Tbsp granulated sugar & extra for sprinkling
* 9 eggs, whites and yolks separated
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup + 1 tsp sifted flour, divided
* Powdered sugar
* 3 Tbsp preserves (I use Raspberry, Blueberry & Blackberry)
* 1/2 cup blended low-fat vanilla yogurt

Equipment Needed:

* 8x8x2 casserole dish
* Electric mixer

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.) Spray casserole w/non-stick spray & sprinkle a bit of sugar on bottom.
3.) Beat egg whites w/electric mixer in a clean bowl until frothy, about 30 secs.
4.) Slowly add 6 Tbsp sugar, beating as sugar is added, until soft peaks form.
5.) Beat egg yolks and vanilla with a fork in separate bowl, until blended.
6.) Fold egg yolk mixture slowly & gently into egg whites until incorporated.
7.) Slowly sprinkle w/flour, folding after each addition, until flour is mixed in.
8.) Pour into prepared dish.
9.) Bake 18-20 min, until golden brown and puffed.
10.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
11.) While souffle is baking, mix yogurt & preserves in a bowl to make sauce.
12.) Immediately scoop souffle into bowls & top with yogurt sauce.


"A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do."
-P.J. O'Rourke

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

5.27.2011

Fine Art Friday

Hello! Happy Friday everyone - cheer to a long weekend! With the onset of the nice weather I was able to get my garden planted - now I dream nightly about plump, red, juicy tomatoes - YUM!! Today's post is dedicated to these lovely gems, Enjoy!

Picnik collage

1.) Ripe tomato
2.) Heirloom Tomato
3.) Heirloom Tomato
4.) Tomatoes
5.) Ripe Swiss Tomato
6.) Heirloom Tomatoes
7.) Golden tomatoes of the sun
8.) Tomato still life


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

3.22.2011

Tasty Tuesday

“The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness.”
-Henry David Thoreau


berry fizz
Berry Fizz
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

* 1 pint raspberries
* 1 quart strawberries, quartered
* 1 pint blueberries
* 1 pint blackberries
* 2 btls Italian Soda, any flavor
* Fresh mint leaves, washed and patted dry

(FYI: Target carries their own brand of Italian soda)

Equipment Needed:

* Sharp knife
* Cutting Board
* Large Bowl
* 12 martini glasses

Directions:

1.) Wash, dry all berries.
2.) Cut strawberries.
3.) Toss raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, & blackberries together gently.
4.) Evenly portion fruit into martini glasses.
5.) Pour about 1/2 cup of soda over berries just prior to serving.
6.) Garnish with mint.


“Patience is bitter, but it bears sweet fruit.”
-Turkish Proverb


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

3.20.2011

Salivation Sunday

“Truth is a fruit which should not be plucked until it is ripe.”
-Voltaire


Good Morning! Have a wonderful day - I am about to go partake in a serving of today's recipe. Enjoy!

3987
Fruit Parfait
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

* 1 1/8 cups organic vanilla yogurt
* 1 mango, diced
* 3/4 cup granola Cereal
* 2 cups blueberries
* 1 cup strawberries, diced
* Honey

Equipment Needed:

* 6 Parfait glasses

Directions:

1.) Place the ingredients in the 6 parfait glasses in this order:

*1 Tbsp yogurt
*Diced mango
*1 Tbsp granola
*1 Tbsp yogurt
*Blueberries
*1 Tbsp granola
*1 Tbsp yogurt

2.) Top with diced strawberries.
3.) Drizzle with honey to taste.

“Everyone who enjoys thinks that the principal thing to the tree is the fruit, but in point of fact the principal thing to it is the seed. Herein lies the difference between them that create and them that enjoy.”
-Friedrich Nietzsche


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

3.01.2011

Tasty Tuesday

“Wine is bottled poetry.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson


Hello! I know it is not summer, but I am so ready for the sunshine, warmth and cookouts, that I could not resist posting this recipe. I love red wine sangria, but this recipe for a white wine version is very refreshing and sure to be enjoyed by all. I have included the directions to make it non-alcoholic as well. Enjoy!


White Sangria:

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup water
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 6 medium peaches, pit removed, wedged
* 2 pineapples; cored, cut in thick rings then cubed
* 3 ripe mangoes, peeled, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
* 6 limes, cut crosswise in 1/4-inch rounds
* 3 bottles fruity white wine (Riesling, Vouvray, Gewurztraminer)
* 1 cup Grand Marnier
* 1-1/2 cups light rum
* 1 liter sparkling unflavored water
* 1 pint raspberries

Directions:

1.) Heat water and sugar in saucepan over medium until sugar dissolves, about 2 min.
2.) Place peaches, pineapple, mango, and limes in large punch bowl.
3.) Add liquor and sugar water mixture to fruit & chill at least 2 hours.
4.) Add sparkling water, garnish with raspberries.
5.) Fill tumblers 1/3 way up with ice.
6.) Ladle in sangria and serve immediately.

(For a non-alcoholic version eliminate wine, Grand Marnier, rum, and sugar water mixture. Substitute with 4 quarts White Grape-Peach Juice.)


"Summer is a promissory note signed in June, its long days spent and gone before you know it, and due to be repaid next January."
-Hal Borland

2.17.2011

Temptation Thursday

“Ignorance is like a delicate fruit; touch it, and the bloom is gone.”
-Oscar Wilde


Hello! Today I am sharing the recipe for one of my favorite desserts. It his always a go to - especially in summer when you can make it with different types of fruit. It is not hard to make and the results are always impressive! Enjoy!

What is a Clafouti you ask?

1. fruit pastry: a fruit and batter pastry, typically made with cherries
[Late 20th century. < French < dialect clafir "to stuff" + standard French foutre "to stuff"]

Taken from Encarta® World English Dictionary[North American Edition]©


Strawberry Clafouti

Ingredients:

* 1 1/3 cups + 1 Tbsp sugar
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1 cup egg substitute
* 1 1/2 cups skim milk
* 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
* 2 tsp finely grated orange peel
* 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
* 2 pears, peeled, sliced, seeded
* 10 strawberries, stems removed, sliced
* 4 Tbsp confectioners' sugar

Equipment Needed:

* 2 Mixing Bowls
* 8 - 6 ounce oven safe dishes
* Large baking sheet

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 375°.
2.) Butter all 8 baking dishes and set aside.
3.) Combine sugar, flour, and baking powder in mixing bowl.
4.) Lightly beat together eggs, milk, vanilla, & grated peels in another bowl.
5.) Add egg mixture to sugar mixture & stir slightly to combine.
6.) Spoon pears and berries into the 8 buttered dishes.
7.) Pour batter over fruit, filling dishes about three-quarters full.
8.) Place dishes on baking sheet.
9.) Then, put baking sheet with dishes onto center rack of oven.
10.) Bake 30 to 35 min, until golden brown.
11.) Sprinkle with confectioners sugar while still warm.

Thought of the Day:

“Truth is a fruit which should not be plucked until it is ripe.”
-Voltaire


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

1.03.2011

Mosaic Monday

“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.”
-Pablo Picasso


Hello! I was thinking about color last night and became so thankful that I have my sight. The beauty of the world around us is a site to behold and I would hate to miss any of it! My thoughts about color led me to think about food - it is recommended that we eat a lot of colorful foods because they are good for us. Well, that makes sense - if seeing color makes me happy, then it stand to reason that eating colorful foods would make my body happy! Enjoy!

“There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen”
-Unknown


My creation


Thought of the Day:

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”
-Maya Angelou


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

1.02.2011

Salivation Sunday

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."
-Benjamin Franklin


HAPPY NEW YEAR! I really cannot believe it is 2011, the time just flies by! As much as I love to cook, spending hours in the kitchen making meals and cleaning up after them is a big bummer. Over the next year I am going to share some wonderful, easy recipes with you, hopefully you will be able to spend more time doing other things besides slave in the kitchen. Enjoy!

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things."
-John Burroughs


Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Surprise


Ingredients:

* 1 1/4 cups vanilla yogurt
* 1 cup granola cereal (your choice)
* 1 cup skim milk
* 1 cup strawberries, sliced
* 1 cup red grapes
* 1 cripin apple, finely diced
* 1 large banana, sliced
* 2 Tbsp honey (plus extra to drizzle)
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1/4 cup quinoa

Directions:

1.) Night before: Combine yogurt & granola cereal in a mixing bowl.
2.) Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3.) To serve: Add milk, fruit, and honey to granola mix.
4.) Combine well.
5.) Portion into bowls & sprinkle with pecans and quinoa.
6.) Drizzle with more honey if you would like.

Hint:

1.) Mixture can be refrigerated, without fruit, pecans & quinoa up to 3 days.

Thought of the Day:

"Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow."
-Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

7.26.2010

Mangia Monday!

“Drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable.”
-G.K. Chesterton


Sangria
Servings: 17

Ingredients:

* 3 bottles Rioja (Spanish red wine)
* 1 can (12 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
* 1 cup brandy
* 1 cup Triple Sec
* 3 lemons, finely sliced
* 3 limes, finely sliced
* 3 oranges, finely sliced
* 2 pears, finely sliced
* 2 peaches, finely sliced
* Ice
* 1 liter sparkling water

Directions:

1.) Mix wine, limeade, brandy, liqueur, & fruit in large pitcher
2.) Stir well.
3.) Chill at least 2 hours.
4.) Place ice into tall glasses.
5.) Pour sangria over ice, until glass is 4/5 full.
5.) Top off with sparkling water.
6.) Garnish with more fruit.

“Drink nothing without seeing it; sign nothing without reading it”
-Spanish Proverb



Watermelon Martini
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

* cocktail sugar
* 4 oz (1/2 cup) vodka
* 8 oz (1 cup) Watermelon Margarita Mixer
* ice
* 2 watermelon wedges

Equipment Needed:

* 2 margarita glasses (chilled)
* Shallow bowl
* Shaker

Directions:

1.) Pour cocktail sugar into a shallow bowl.
2.) Moisten glass rims with water.
3.) Invert glasses and dip into bowl filled with sugar.
4.) Set glasses to the side.
5.) Add ice to shaker (fill 3/4).
5.) Pour vodka and cocktail mixer over ice in shaker.
6.) Shake vigorously and strain into glasses.
7.) Garnish with fresh watermelon wedge.

Wine is sunlight, held together by water.
-Galileo

Silly Joke of the Day:

What's gray, eats fish, & lives in Washington, D.C.?
......The Presidential Seal.

Have a great day and remember:
Go Ahead & Indulge!

7.13.2010

Tasty Tuesday!

“Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.”
-Kahlil Gibran

Hello! I hope everyone is having a great week. I am a bit late posting today - but better late, than never they say! Enjoy this quick and tasty recipe!


“Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson


Fruit Trifle
serves: 4

Ingredients:

* 1/2 Angel Food Cake (store made), cut into 1-inch pieces (about 30)
* 1/2 cup Brewed espresso coffee, cooled
* 1 cup Vanilla low-fat yogurt
* 2 cups Mixed fresh berries
* 1 Plum, pitted and thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup Wheat Crunch Cereal (ie. grapenuts)

Directions:

1.) Arrange cake pieces on baking sheet & drizzle with coffee, moisten all sides.
2.) In trifle bowl layer cake, yogurt, berries, plum, and cereal, saving a little yogurt and fruit for garnish.
3.) Chill at least 10 minutes prior to serving.


Silly Joke of the Day:

What is a tree's favorite drink?
....Root beer.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!


6.01.2010

Mangia Monday!

“The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness.”
-Henry David Thoreau

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was busy, but fun!
Today I have a very simple recipe for you! A good way to start your week after a weekend of indulgence! My boys love this and it is a good way to get some healthy food into them! Enjoy!


“Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.”
-Kahlil Gibran



Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Servings: 2 1/4 cups

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup Orange juice (no pulp)
* 1/2 cup Frozen strawberries
* 1 whole ripe banana, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
* 6 oz Organic vanilla yogurt

Equipment needed:

*Blender

Directions:

1.) Puree juice, fruit, and yogurt in blender on high for 30 seconds, until smooth.
2.) Pour into large glass and enjoy!


“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana”
-Groucho Marx


Silly Joke of the Day:

What lives in apples and is an avid reader?
............A bookworm!


Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

4.05.2010

Mangia Monday!


“Life without love is like a tree without blossoms or fruit.”

-Kahlil Gibran


Hello and welcome! After a weekend of celebrating and overeating I think a nice light recipe is in order. This is a healthy, yet very tasty treat I think you will enjoy!

I wish you a wonderful week filled with happiness!

“One is wise to cultivate the tree that bears fruit in our soul”

-Henry David Thoreau



Caribbean Fruit Salad

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

* 6 oz Fresh raspberries
* 16 oz Fresh strawberries, stemmed, quartered
* 1 Mango, peeled, seeded and cubed
* 1/2 Medium honeydew, formed into melon balls
* 2 tsp fresh mint leaves, minced
* 2 Tbsp lime juice
* 3 Tbsp honey
* 2 Tbsp sweetened flaked coconut


Directions:

1.) Combine fruit in large bowl.
2.) Whisk together mint leaves, lime juice and honey in small bowl.
3.) Mix dressing gently into fruit.
4.) Refrigerate for at least 15 min before serving to allow flavors to blend.
5.) Ladle into individual serving bowls.
6.) Garnish with coconut prior to serving.


“Truth is a fruit which should not be plucked until it is ripe.”
-Voltaire


Joke of the Day:


How do you make a peach into a vegetable?
Step on it and make it squash.



Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

4.24.2009

Fabulous Finds for Friday!

Happy Etsy Day!




I have so many finds to share this week and in honor of etsy day, all of them were found in etsy shops!

I am very happy to be able to purchase such wonderful items, from these very talented artisans!


On the one hand, shopping is dependable: You can do it alone, if you lose your heart to something that is wrong for you, you can return it; it's instant gratification and yet something you buy may well last for years.
-Judith Krantz


Without further ado, I give you fabulous finds for friday!



iWunder: Hand Knit Items & Dyed Yarns




Simag: Jewelry





Tsurfer: Crafting with Love





A Dorana Design: Original Jewelry & Art Paper





H20 Works: Art Prints, ACEO's, Graphic Design, Cards





Skinz 'N' Hydez: Leather and Silver Designs





Marine's Yarn Works: Crochet & Knit for Yourself & Home





Fairy Lore and More





AsiAsi: A little of this and that





Shopping is better than sex. If you're not satisfied after shopping you can make an exchange for something you really like.
-Adrienne Gusoff


I hope you find time to celebrate Etsy Day! It is fun for everyone involved!







Go Ahead & Indulge!


4.16.2009

Fabulous Finds for Friday!

Hello!

I want to wish you all a happy Friday!
There are so many things to be happy about - don't you agree?

I am happy for many things: my family, my health, and my life in general!

Another thing that makes me happy is food!
In moderation, food can be a wonderful source of happiness.

Today I would like to share some fabulous (food) finds or Friday!


Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. ~Voltaire

Enjoy!



Fabulous Find #1:

Whimsy and Spice

This wonderful Etsy shop has some exciting and interesting sweets. The use of different spices and flavors really make their products unique!

My favorite:

Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies







Fabulous Find #2:

Chez Pim

A unique and exciting Etsy shop! This shop specializes in artisan marmalade - made from exotic fruit grown in the hills of California.

My favorites:



Compote de fraise aux fleurs d'hibiscus


Sanguinello Blood Orange Marmalade



Fabulous Find #3:

Have it Sweet: Confections for a Cause

This sweet shop donates 15-25% of their monthly sales to Kiva (supporting entrepreneurs in the developing world).

My Favorite:



Heavenly Tahitian Vanilla Caramel (you cut your own)



Wipe your drool and hurry to their shops before everything sells out!

Have a wonderful weekend!

4.03.2009

Leave My Food Alone

Please visit this link and fill out the petition!
LeaveMyFoodAlone.org is a petition designed to stop HR 875. In its current form, the bill could prevent small local organic farms and community gardeners from growing and selling you nutritious, truly fresh, organic produce.  It would crush our small local food producers by imposing heavy government regulation that only large corporations could adhere to. Imagine:
  • No more farmers markets.
  • No more garden fresh, seasonal ingredients from the local farmer at your favorite restaurant.
  • No more roadside stands with fresh picked sweet corn, juicy ripe tomatoes, or refreshing 
    watermelons in the summer.

Americans would essentially be forced to only eat corporately manufactured, chemically treated, hermetically sealed, irradiated fruits and vegetables. 

To prevent this bill, act now by signing the petition!