Category — Blueberries

Strawberries are a delicious way to add more antioxidants and fiber to your diet.  According to the California Strawberry Commission, a serving of strawberries, just 8 berries, contains more vitamin C than an orange, and 2 grams of fiber!  What’s even better, is that a cup of strawberries contains just 50 calories.

I’ve found that the best and fastest way to get my daily intake of fruits and veggies is to make a power-packed morning smoothie. Here’s a strawberry smoothie recipe to get you started.  It also contains blueberries–another superfood!

Strawberry & Blueberry Smoothie

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 banana, peeled
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1 individual size container of yogurt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, or smoothie maker, and blend until mixture reaches desired consistency.  To add a little zip, replace some of the milk with orange juice.  Yogurt can be any flavor, depending on what you like.  I’ve also added a handful of uncooked quick oats to this recipe for increasing my whole grain intake.

Election Day is almost here!  After nearly 2 years of political ads, and seemingly endless months of pundits weighing in, Barack Obama and John McCain are finally reaching the end of the campaign trail.  Regardless of your party affiliation, a sweet treat on  Tuesday night will certainly hit the spot.  After all, it could prove to be a long night.

American Flag Cake

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 tsp. light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and dried
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, washed and dried

Cake: Prepare cake mix in a 9×13 cake pan according to directions.  Place on cooling rack. If you wish to serve this cake on a platter, remove cake from baking pan after 5 minutes of cooling.

Frosting: Mix together powdered sugar, water, corn syrup, and vanilla with a hand mixer until well blended.  Apply frosting to top and sides of cooled cake.  Arrange whole blueberries on cake to resemble the starred section of the American flag.  Slice strawberries in half lengthwise, and place end to end to form stripes on cake.  Remember to dry fruit before placing on the cake.

Here’s a buttery recipe for homemade yellow cake if you don’t want to use a cake mix. Here’s another variation of the flag cake recipe that includes gelatin.

If you’re trying to turn back the hands of time, you may want to give blueberries a try.  These plump and royal-hued berries should be considered little gems when it comes to maintaining a youthful appearance and good nutrition.

Here are just a few of the health benefits of eating blueberries:

• Blueberries contain more antioxidants than any other fruit.   Eating blueberries wards off cancers and heart disease because of their high concentration of anthocyanin.
• Blueberries slow the aging process, preserve eyesight, and help us stay mentally alert.
• Blueberries prevent urinary tract infections.

Here’s a recipe that will help you add blueberries to your diet!

Banana Blueberry Bran Muffins

• 4 ripe bananas, pureed in blender or food processor
• 1 package frozen blueberries
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups oat bran
• 1 quart of buttermilk (see below for substitute info)
• 4 cups Kellogg’s All Bran cereal
• 2 1/2 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine bananas, blueberries, walnuts, eggs, baking soda, sugar, vanilla, and oat bran until coarsely blended.  Then, add buttermilk, cereal, and flour.  Stir until thoroughly mixed.  Fill muffin pans 2/3 full and bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes.

No buttermilk?  You can make your own buttermilk substitute in 5 minutes.  To make 1 cup of buttermilk, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup.  Then fill to the one cup line with regular milk.  Gently stir, then set aside for 5 minutes before using.  The muffin recipe above requires 1 quart (4 cups) of buttermilk, so you’ll need to do this four times, or quadruple the recipe.

Here are many more blueberry recipes.