The Berry Boxes

We are BIG berry eaters in my house, the fridge is always stocked with them.  Blueberries and blackberries are jam packed with antioxidants. Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries are  rich sources of fiber, potassium, vitamin C and are low in fat and calories. Funny thing about berries though is you have to keep them fresh and from drying out. On a trip to the grocery store, while I was in the produce section, I spotted these cool little baskets.  They were very inexpensive, considering the money I would be saving by not throwing berries in the trash can after having them for 2-3 days.  My berries are lasting about 2 weeks in these containers, that's a long life for fresh berries.  Check them out!

I found them in four different colors, red, green and yellow in the square size.  The boxes are BPA free and dishwasher safe.

 (I recommend top rack)

They are three compartment containers that come taped together.

They consist of a bottom container, a basket and a lid for storing the berries and keeping them fresh. Put your berries in the basket, rinse, drain excess water off, drop basket into the bottom container, put on the lid and "burp" it, store in the refrigerator.

Take the three pieces apart, and they go back together for storing your berries.

This purple container is the other size basket.  It's rectangle shape is perfect for storing strawberries.

Berry Good Salad

Berries are plentiful this time of year and at a great price too.  Take advantage of them now because the flavor of them will change come the cooler weather.  I use berries a lot of different ways, I make jam with them, eat them in cereal, eat them plain or sometimes with fresh whipped cream, use them in desserts and I love them in salads.  Using them in salads breaks up the monotony of vegetables in every salad you eat.  They are fruity and satisfying, sweet and delicious with a variety of dressings.

The hubby was amazed the first time I put fruit in a salad, he said "why are you putting that in there, I don't think I'm going to like that". I said "try it, you're going to love it" and he did, and here we are 30 years later and he's loving it!

I made this version of a salad with fruit a few nights ago.  I used fresh spinach, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and pineapple to start building my salad.

Then added grilled chicken and feta cheese.....

Some candied pecans for crunch........

And topped it off with a raspberry vinaigrette.  Delicious, fruity and savory all at the same time.  It was filling and I didn't need dessert!  Summer salads are the best, use a variety of fruits in them, you're going to love it.

I'm Giving You The Raspberries

What can I say about Summer fruit, it's the best.  It has the most wonderful flavor in the world. Sweet, juicy and there are so many things you can do with it.  Pies, jams, grill it, make a cake, frozen pops or salsas, I could go on and on of all the things you can do with Summer fruit.  I found some interesting berries that I have never seen before, yellow raspberries, and thought I would give them a try.  The color was vibrant, pretty, that's what drew my eye to them. I love color, as you all know, it keeps things interesting.

I made a fruit and lettuce salad with all my berries, if you have never tried this, please do, it's tastes great! I washed romaine lettuce and berries, (you can use any lettuces you want, a Spring mix and super lettuces like kale, chard and spinach are good too).  Chop the lettuce, slice the strawberries and then toss with blueberries, blackberries, red raspberries and yellow raspberries.

 Look how colorful! I also used matchstick carrots and cucumber.  It's all good for you food.  I made my favorite sweet/ tangy dressing for this salad - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/4 cup sugar (or other sweetener, agave or honey) 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and 1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds.  Shake it all together, drizzle some over the salad.

Abundance of Berries - Fresh Berry Fruit Tart

WOW, the supermarkets are loaded with berries. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, I love them all.  Put them in desserts, cereal, smoothies, on ice cream, make some jam or put them in salads (yes that's right, I do it all the time and they are fantastic!) They're all "good for you" foods too, so take advantage, because after summer they will disappear or the prices will skyrocket.

  I have to go to the big box stores at least twice a week for berries, because e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y in my house eats them.  I bought some extra and made a Fresh Berry Fruit Tart yesterday for dessert.  Warm weather equals cool desserts for me and this ones fits the bill.

Recipe below. To print, click on the recipe, highlight it and print.

Can you believe these few simple ingredients make a delicious dessert?  Well they do!  Use whatever fruit flavored cream cheese and fruit that you like, it doesn't have to be berries.

 Cookie baking and almost done.

 Mixed up the cream cheese and sugar.

Cookie baked and cooling.

 Berries washed and drying on a towel.

Spread the cream cheese mixture on the cooled cookie. 

 Slice up the strawberries and decorate using your own creativity!  Come on, it's easy.

 Lookin' Good!

 Can't wait to cut it up and eat it.

Up close and personal with the fruit tart, it's almost too pretty to cut and eat, naaaaaa.....

Fresh Berry Fruit Tart

Ingredients

Cooking Spray

1 - 16.5 oz. roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

2 - 8 oz. containers of strawberry cream cheese, softened (do not use whipped)

1 cup of confectioner's sugar

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1/2 cup red raspberries

lemon zest and fresh mint sprigs for garnish (omit if you don't like it)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a round pizza pan with cooking spray.  Break the dough into 5 pieces and drop four of the pieces around the sides of the pan and one in the middle of the pan.  Press the dough evenly into the pan with your hands (but not to the edge of the pan), until all of it is flattened and it looks like a big cookie.  Bake until lightly browned.

While the cookie is baking, mix the cream cheese and the sugar with an electric mixer until all is combined. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it (take it out about 15 minutes before spreading on the cookie, so it will be spreadable).  Wash all the berries and lay them to dry on a clean dish towel.  Hull and slice the strawberries, then zest the lemon and set them aside.

When the cookie is baked, take out of the oven and let it cool completely.  When it is cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the top of the cookie.  Decorate the top with a pattern of all the berries, sprinkle with lemon zest and garnish with mint sprigs. Makes 8 - 10 servings.

I Love Summer Berries!

No matter what time of year it is, I always have berries in the house.  If my favorite grocery store does not have what I am looking for, I am on the hunt for them.  I use berries in a lot of ways, for breakfast in cereal, desserts, salads, salsas or just eating them plain with homemade whipped cream.  They not only taste good, but they are so good for you, double plus in my book.

It's very hot here on the east coast, 96-98 degrees and very, very humid, almost unbearable.  So, instead of grabbing a popsicle, ice cream or some other cold treat, I used my berries that I had on hand and made a delicious dessert.  

Early in the morning, I washed, dried and laid the berries out on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer.  When I was ready to serve my frozen treat, I took them out while I was making my chocolate sauce.

 In a double boiler, so the chocolate cooks properly, I used 1 16 oz. package of white chocolate chips (the good kind!) and 1 cup of half and half (you can also use heavy cream) and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  On medium-low heat, simmer on the stove top while stirring, so the chocolate melts.  You can also make this sauce with dark or milk chocolate if you don't like white chocolate.  No double boiler, no problem, use a smaller pan on the bottom, fill with about 1 cup of water, but make sure it will not touch the bottom of the larger pan on top if it boils up.

 Arrange frozen berries on a decorative plate with an edge, don't want any of the sauce to escape!

 Pour the hot sauce over the berries..... 

 and serve to happy guests, they will love it!

Peter Piper Picked A Peck.....

Fresh fruit and vegetables are a staple in our house.  We make two trips to the grocery store every week to keep up with the demand.  We use fresh as long as we can get them throughout the year.  I was never a big fan of canned vegetables because of the salt and the process they go through, but hey when I absolutely need to use them, I do.   

I love colorful peppers, they are loaded with so many good things for you.  Roast them with olive oil in the oven, stuff them, use them in soups, eat them raw in salads or just by themselves, they are awesome!  All the colorful peppers do taste different, the yellow is the best tasting, the red has the most nutrients and is one the healthiest vegetables you can eat.

Berries, we eat a lot of those too.  Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, they are a very healthy food, full of flavor and you can also use them in so many ways.  I make jam in the summer, use them for all kinds of desserts, eat them on cereal, use them in salads, make salsa from them or just eat them plain.