Culinary Clique.com

Healthy Homemade Parfait

Vickie — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:27:04 +0000

Healthy Homemade Parfait

I used to equate healthy with taking lots of time and costing more. It still may not be as easy as just tearing something open but it can be pretty quick. This morning I made fruit and yogurt parfaits. They were YUM and filling. I simply started out thawing some frozen blueberries I picked myself. I put 1/2 cup of Stonyfield non-fat plain yogurt in our bowl. I blended in a few drops of my homemade lemoncello just to cut a little of the yogurt tang it can have sometimes. I then added fresh peaches, banana and the blueberries over the yogurt. I sprinkled 1/3 cup of Cascadian Farms cinnamon raisin granola cereal on top and WHA LA! It was cool and filling, not to mention healthy and low fat. I bought some breakfast bread from Publix along with coffee and Coffeemate sugar free hazelnut creamer. Enjoy the simple healthy, quick, parfait that couldn’t be topped by gourmet restaurants in town.

Homemade Parfait Ingredients

Hidden Treasures ‘Pick Your Own’

Vickie — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:56:19 +0000

I titled this first of several posts “hidden treasures” because they are every where, you just have to seek them out. I discovered this hidden treasure close to where I live. It is a “pick your own” blueberry farm. You may think that “pick your own” doesn’t sound like a treasure but I really enjoy the experience of it. Mary Mac Berry Farm doesn’t spray their bushes so you can eat while you pick. Part of the treasure is the blueberries cost $1.50 per pound, yes per pound.

Once you bring home your berries and get your fill of fresh blueberries, just put them in a freezer bag, without washing, and freeze. Then you can grab what you need when you need them. I immediately made blueberry turnovers and blueberry pancake syrup. This leads me to sharing some of these recipes with you. Fortunately, it doesn’t just stop there. Enjoying fresh blueberries is healthy and can be added in simple everyday foods such as cereal or in a yogert parfait. Another refereshng summer treat is making a berry banana smoothie. However, my family’s favorite is French toast with fresh blueberries swimming in warm maple syrup.

Chocolate Sauce

Vickie — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 03:37:00 +0000

If you are looking for a great chocolate sauce/glaze, then here is one that is awesome and easy. This sauce is amazing over ice cream, glaze for brownies, over petifaroles, banana splits or whatever your heart desires. I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate for quick dissolving smooth chocolate and kaluha to give it that rich taste. Give it a a try.

Going Light on Strawberry Cream Tart

Vickie — Mon, 31 May 2010 03:31:36 +0000

I enjoy cooking healthy and light. A favorite place for me to try recipes is Cooking Light. I even try to go lighter then their light. In this recipe I substituted most the sugar for Splenda Sugar Blend and used Land O Lakes Light Butter. I simply left out the almonds in the crust because of family preference.

So check out my version of Strawberry Cream Tart recipe from Cooking Light’s Strawberry Almond Cream Tart May 2010 issue. If you are a diabetic, my site will give you hope that you can make desserts that are low in sugar and high in taste. Let me know what you think and enjoy the season of strawberries.

WHERE Does Your Garden Grow?

Vickie — Sun, 02 May 2010 20:14:41 +0000

Monk's Farmers Market

I do some writing for a hyper local site in my community. One of the recent posts I wrote was about taking the opportunity to buy from local farmers and farmer markets. This year I am fortunate enough to have a garden, but I can’t say many years has been that season in my life. Even with a garden, I am not growing everything fresh I would like to eat this spring and summer.

So may I ask WHERE does your garden grow? Mine grows at several of my favorite roadside farmer trailer and markets in my community. I also frequent a “pick your own” berry farm. How about you? I know it takes an extra trip outside of grocery shopping, but can I say it is just worth it. I love the fresh taste of spring and summer. I eat the local honey because it builds immunity to local allergens so I can enjoy the great outdoors. I especially love the fact that at Bill’s Honey Farm you just go in his small building get your honey and leave your money in the bowl on an honor system. I call that a pretty sweet community.

So whether your garden grows in your back yard or a roadside farmers market; enjoy the great tastes of the season. Seek out great recipes that have what is in season like this Corn and Black Bean Salad/Salsa and don’t forget to support your locals. Take the kids along and have them pick out the reddest tomato they can find. Stop at roadside stands along your vacation drive and look up recipes to make something with your fresh buy.

If you are traveling or want to support your local farmers, try visiting www.localharvest.org.

If you live in Huntsville AL, check you this Hyper-Local Site: www.DiscoveringHuntsville.com