Category Archives: fruit

It’s strawberry time!

Needing some new recipes for strawberries? I’m seeing lots of posts about them on social media and I am wishing I could go pick some out of my patch! However, my strawberry patch is in my imagination, so I don’t have to go far! ๐Ÿ˜€ haha!

Last year I found one the width size of my cup!

strawberry

Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium. The USDA-ARS Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging states they are a great source of antioxidants and places them among the top 5 antioxidant- rich fruits!
Strawberries fight against cancer, heart disease, memory loss, stress and anxiety. ย One source states “According to a research at Tufts University, the antioxidants in strawberries could prevent or even reverse problems like memory loss, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease – all conditions blamed on free radical damage.”ย ย Eat a strawberry (or three) after a stressful day and it may increase your dopamine- the happy chemical in your brain! ๐Ÿ™‚ (1)

Here is a recipe to try!

Strawberry Electrolyte Drink
Strawberry Electrolyte Drink

Strawberry Electrolyte Drink

By: Shannon Beeghley, LPN, NS, CHHC

-3 cups of coconut water
-1 cup of frozen strawberries
-1/8 teaspoon of sea salt
-2 tablespoons natural sugar or honey, to taste

Throw into you blender and let it run until everything is thoroughly mixed together and the mixture is smooth.

And a healthy jam recipe I want to try!

StrawB Chia jam

Toss a few sliced strawberries in with some fresh garden spinach, a sprinkle of slivered almonds and drizzle with a poppy seed dressing! Ooo-la-la! ๐Ÿ˜€ ย Add to smoothies, on top granola & yogurt, fresh strawberry pie…. YUM!

Word of caution- there are allergy concerns for a few people when it comes to strawberries. Be sure to ask your friends if they or their children have strawberry allergies before your cookout get- together. Also, it is very important to properly wash your locally grown (or store bought) berries to avoid any harmful bacteria that can cause disease. Ask your local berry farmer if they used any fertilizer sprays. Berries can be washed in a light vinegar/water mix to clean off fertilizer sprays etc. Rinse the berries several times before consuming! Fresh berries will keep about a week! (If they last that long! ๐Ÿ˜€ )

How do you eat your strawberries?

~Coach Shannon

 

Resource:

  1. Eat and Healย by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing

Homemade Easy Applesauce

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By: Shannon Beeghley, LPN, NS, CHHC

4-6 medium size Honey Crisp apples

Peel, core and quarter apples. Place in a small saucepan with a couple inches of water. Cover with a lid.

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Steam the apples until soft and slightly mushy, stirring occasionally. You may need to add water if it is absorbed before apples are soft enough.

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Take a potato masher and mash up the apples into sauce. It should be thick and a little chunky. If you like it more smooth, blend on low with hand held electric blender. Add a little cinnamon, if desired. No added sugar is needed as the apples are sweet enough!

YUM! Delicious!

Fruit Salad

photo (2)

1 (15oz) can of mandarin oranges

1 (20oz) can of pineapple tidbits

1/8 cup purple onion, chopped finely

1/4 – 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped finely

Drain the juice from the pineapple and oranges. (Reserve it for your breakfast juice). ๐Ÿ™‚ Put oranges, pineapple, onion and cilantro into a small bowl and mix together. Eat by itself or serve with chips.

YUM! (I just ate some right before posting this!) ๐Ÿ˜€

I do not remember where I got this recipe, but did not create it, so cannot take the credit for such yumminess! ๐Ÿ™‚ Add as much or less of onion and cilantro as your taste perfers. I typically do not measure but put the above for those who like something to go off of. ๐Ÿ™‚

Fruit Pizza

Making fruit pizza is very easy when done with all fruit! ๐Ÿ™‚ I made this for my birthday last year. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free (does have coconut but it can be omitted), milk free, no added sugar or high fructose corn syrup, and the best part– it is guilt free!! ๐Ÿ˜€ One small slice would even be okay for diabetics! ๐Ÿ˜€

1 watermelon

Bluberries

Kiwi

Strawberries

Shredded coconut

Cut watermelon in big circles like the above picture. Arrange the fruit as you prefer. Sprinkle with coconut and cut into slices. ย YUM!

Note: You can add any other fruit you want to…mandarin oranges, apples, nectarines, peaches, pineapple etc. The picture below is the one I mimicked with my own fruit preferences.. ๐Ÿ™‚

fruit pizza

Apple Salsa

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes
Yields: 4 people

Ingredients:
3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 cup flaxseed or olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together.

Notes:
โ€ข If you want smooth salsa, place half of the mixture in a food processor or blender and pulse for 1-2 seconds to chop the mixture, not purรฉe.
โ€ข Try with different apples or combine 3 different types.
โ€ข This is great with baked chips, grilled veggies or in Mexican dishes.