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Smucker’s Natural Fruit Spreads: You Won’t Believe How Delicious These Are

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Smucker's Natural Fruit Spread

All you taste is the fruit in Smucker’s Natural Fruit Spreads, and that’s the whole(some) idea!

First of all, I apologize for the sparse updates lately. My garden has been particularly needy the past few weeks. If I stood in place for any length of time, I’m certain I could watch weeds grow right in front of me. Why is it THEY grow so incredibly fast and everything else takes so long?! I think I’ve gained on the bothersome little suckers, though, so it’s back to business as usual.

I told you not long ago (before my garden kidnapped me) that I’ve fallen in love with quite a few healthy foods lately.  One of the ones I’m most infatuated with – and wondering how I ever lived without it – is Smucker’s Natural Fruit Spreads.  Whether it’s toast, Sourdough Bread, cornbread muffins, Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, or Thumbprint Cookies, Smucker’s Natural fruit spreads make everything twice as good as it normally would be. Heck, maybe three times as good.

The Spreads are available in the following flavors:

Which one’s my favorite? The one I happen to have in front of me!  Seriously, these are unlike any jam, jelly, or preserves you’ve ever had. All you taste is the glorious fruit.

I bought my first jar (Red Raspberry) a few months ago. I had made a few loaves of Sourdough Bread and wanted a spread worthy of the time that goes into Sourdough bread. When I saw the “Natural” line, I new I had to give it a try. Raspberry is a favorite flavor, so I grabbed a jar.  When I tried it, I was floored. It tasted just like I’d taken raspberries fresh from the vine, lightly sweetened them to bring out the flavor, and then spread them right onto the bread.

The flavor is absolutely fresh and absolutely beautiful. I ran for the other flavors the next day.  My store didn’t have the Orange Marmalade, but I’m dying to try it. I grabbed the strawberry and grape – PLUS another jar of the Raspberry (you can never be too safe).

I was the most shocked by the Concord Grape, simply because most grape jellies, jams, and preserves don’t have that unmistakable, amazing flavor of concord grapes.  We all just kind of get used to the attempts made in our jams and jellies and go on about our business.  In a delicious turn of events, however, Smucker’s Natural Concord Grape Fruit Spread reminds us how anything carrying the name “Concord Grape” should taste.  In a word: Amazing.

The Strawberry (like the raspberry) tasted like I’d spread fresh fruit across the bread. Ridiculously delicious.

I’m going to make a special trip to the store today to see if they have the Orange Marmalade yet.  If they do, I’ll let you know about it.  I can only imagine how amazing it’ll be!

Click through any of the flavors above for nutritional information and, whatever you do, grab a few jars on your next trip to the store. You’re going to LOVE these fruit spreads.

Also See: Great Smucker’s Recipes (chicken, desserts, salads….). CAN NOT wait to try the Grilled Huli Huli Chicken.

Kitchen Gadget of the Day: If You Love Lemons and Limes, You’ll Want a Lemon and Lime Saver!

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Lemon and Lime SaversMy youngest daughter, Stephany, is a lemon and lime lover like none I’ve ever seen.  My husband throws them with reckless abandon into his Ginger Ale and tea and my son-in-law “Dill” can eat a bag of lemons in one setting (as long as he has a tub of salt).

Steph is in a league of her own, though.  She can cut up and eat a plate of lemon and lime slices at any given time of the day and doesn’t even salt the sour little guys.  Makes my face pinch up just thinking about it!

I was browsing around Amazon’s website earlier – something I can be found doing many times throughout the day and night.  I was actually looking for a Berry Keeper (which I found) because I eat A LOT of berries and need a better way to keep them fresh and make them last a little longer.

After I found just the berry keeper I was looking for, I noticed a link to the lovely little Hutzler 58 Lemon / Lime Saver, shown above. I immediately thought, “Steph!”  These are so cute and can keep lemons and limes from going bad and looking a fright.

Product Description

Keep cut lemons and limes fresh and fragrant in a specially designed storage container that will prolong the life of cut citrus. Makes a great conversation piece at the bar. Made of bright and colorful plastic, the 2 sides attach by twist lock. Also great for serving cut lemons and limes at the table. Airtight and dishwasher safe. Item is sold individuality. Product color may vary Item is available in either yellow (lemon) or green (lime).

See Hutzler 58 Lemon / Lime Saver  for more information!

More Fruit Savers on Amazon:

Roasted Peach and Nectarine Salad

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Roasted Peach and Nectarine Salad Recipe

I’m not sure there’s a bigger fan of fruit anywhere than me.  I simply can’t get enough of this particular food group. My family actually has to keep an eye on me, otherwise I’ll throw fruit into everything from oatmeal and cereal to salads and pasta.

When I saw this recipe for Roasted Peach and Nectarine Salad, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Peaches are a personal favorite, so this recipe had me at “hello.”  In all seriousness, everyone should eat more fruit. Fruit is insanely healthy and, let’s face it, if we’re eating fruit, we aren’t eating fatty, fried, sugary alternatives.  Getting more fruit into your daily diet is a cinch. Simply have bowls of your favorite fruit handy for snacks. Grapes, cantaloupe, peaches, berries, apples, oranges – they all make delicious snacks.

Also, throw your favorite fruit into vanilla yogurt, smoothies, cereal, oatmeal, and even salads. Oranges, peaches, strawberries, and nectarines are excellent in tossed salads. Give the recipe below a try asap and you’ll see what I mean.

Roasted Peach and Nectarine Salad Recipe

Prep: 20 min. | Bake: 20 min. | Makes 6 servings

 

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 Tbsp. honey
3 peaches, peeled, halved, pitted
3 nectarines, peeled, halved, pitted
1/2 (6-oz.) package fresh mozzarella,(cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
2 cups arugula
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 prosciutto slices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter, lemon juice, and honey in a small bowl. Microwave on HIGH 90 seconds or until butter is melted. Place peaches and nectarines in a baking dish; pour over butter mixture, tossing to coat. Arrange, cut sides down, in a single layer.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15minutes, brushing with juices after 10 minutes. (If the juices begin to burn, add a little water and cover the pan loosely with foil.) Remove from oven, and turn peaches cut sides up. Place a cube of mozzarella cheese in center of each peach and nectarine half. Return to oven, and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Reserve juices.

Toss arugula with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange arugula on a serving platter, and top with prosciutto; top with peaches and nectarines. Drizzle peaches and nectarines with 1 to 2 tablespoons reserved pan juices.

Nutrients per serving:

258 calories, 16 gms fat, 144 calories from fat, 7 gms saturated fat, 42 mg cholesterol, 572 mg sodium, 3 gms dietary fiber, 9 gms protein

Credit: Recipe and Photo Courtesy of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association

Adorable Fruit Dessert Plates

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Fruit Dessert Plates from Wal-Mart

I bought a few of the dessert plates, shown above, at Wal-Mart a few days ago – for the whopping price of $1.25 each.  Apparently there’s also a “watermelon” plate as well, but they were already gone.  These are just too cute for their own good, and how could you not love the price?

These adorable plates (which are intended to be used sort of like saucers… but I’m using them as little platters for lemon wedges, strawberries, grapes, etc) are a perfect example that you can have great-looking items in your kitchen without spending a fortune.  You’d never know by looking at these adorable plates that they weren’t from a MUCH more expensive store.  Wal-Mart is just a great place to look for dishes, appliances, kitchen gadgets, etc.  Their dishes are actually gorgeous and you can find outstanding deals on everything else.

For example, I just went to their website to see if I could find a picture of the watermelon plates to add to this post. No luck, BUT I did see that they have the Black & Decker Fruit and Vegetable Juice Extractor (pictured below) for only $29.88!!  If your local Wal-Mart doesn’t have them in stock, you can go to their website and order one.

I know I want one in the worst way and I’m seriously considering grabbing one or two extras at this price for Christmas gifts.  $29.88, seriously?  I’m all over it.

Black and Decker Fruit and Vegetable Juice Extractor

Back to the adorable fruit plates, you can find them in the area where they sell plastic pitchers, cups, and picnic-friendly dishes.  They also have a killer selection of red, white, and blue plates and glasses for the Fourth of July.  I have my eye on each of them, and fellow shoppers, you know what that means: Where the eye goes, the hand will follow.

The hand with the money {insert maniacal laughter}.

Sunkist Gold Nugget Mandarins

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Here’s an example of a company doing something cool for and fun for people. Sunkist hosted a sweet and juicy sampling event with a twist at the world famous Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles. Visitors were treated to the delicious, easy-to-peel Gold Nugget Mandarins as Los Angeles magician Farrell Dillon surprised audiences with a little citrus magic.

The magician’s incredibly entertaining, the people are priceless, and as for the mandarins, my mouth is watering!

Sour Cream Fruit Dip

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Chrome Fruit Bowl

If you’re trying to get your kids, husbands, or self to eat more fruit, I have the solution and it’s delectable.  This extraordinary fruit dip is beyond delicious.  It kind of tastes like lemony sweetened condensed milk.

Except better.

While this sauce would be sensational drizzled over pound cake (or anything for that matter), he’s simply breathtaking when he hang out near the fruit bowl.  You can either make your favorite fruit salad and serve the sauce drizzled on top or you can put it in individual bowls and serve alongside apple slices, strawberries, kiwi, bananas, pineapple wedges, and so on.

Try it this weekend, it’ll rock your world.

Sour Cream Fruit Dip Recipe

1/2 cup butter or margarine (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar at medium speed until smooth. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until creamy. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

This amazing dip would also be fantastic served on top of a bowl of sliced peaches or pears. Speaking of peaches, try this sometime:  Slice fresh peaches into individual serving bowls.  Pour a little heavy cream or half and half over the peaches then sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on tops. Ridiculously good.

The Progressive International Chrome Wire Fruit Bowl pictured at the top of the post is from Amazon and it couldn’t be prettier, even if it you taped a picture of Halle Berry on the side.

Ocean Spray Dried Fruit: Healthy Snacking Made Delicious

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I go out of my way to buy and prepare food for my family that’s healthy and good for them.  Given the fact that we are, indeed, what we eat, I want only the healthiest foods going into the mouths of  those I love – including my own mouth for that matter.

Like most people, we’ve determined that snacking is one of our weakest areas.  We’re horrible when it comes to noshing in front of sports or our favorite television shows.  The thing is, this snacking can be horrendous for one’s health to say nothing of their waistline.

We’re trying to make smarter, healthier choices and I’ve actually been amazed at how easy it’s been.  Below are a few examples of things that have worked for us:

  1. I’ve started buying low fat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, most of the time.  Frozen low fat yogurt is outstanding.  In fact, it’s what two of my daughters and I had last night as our Biggest Loser snack. Appropriate.
  2. My Halloween bowls are filled with roasted peanuts, sunflower seeds, yogurt-covered raisins, Ocean Spray Dried Fruit (more on this in a minute!), nuts, seeds, and even dried cereal.
  3. I’ve started keeping a bag of Ocean Spray Dried Blueberries on my desk in my home office. Delicious. Healthy. Convenient. Addictive.
  4. We’ve switched to air-popped, butter-free popcorn and actually prefer it now.
  5. We keep yogurt, cottage cheese, and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables on hand and conveniently ready in the refrigerator.

I have an on-going love affair with Ocean Spray beverages and Cranberry Sauce (can you say delicious year-round?!).  Because of this on-going love affair, they sent me three bags of their dried fruit to test for Get Cooking.  I was actually already quite familiar with the Dried Cranberries – we’d been tight for quite a while but I hadn’t yet tried the Dried Blueberries (and here I am, the biggest fan of blueberries in the world!) or the Dried Cherries.  I hadn’t even seen them, to tell you the truth.

I have now!

Each dried fruit is simply delicious and I’m now hooked on each.  My youngest daughter, Stephany, fell hard for the Dried Cherries and Dried Cranberries and I can’t blame her – they’re Heavenly.  However… the dried blueberries are really where it’s at!  We debate it all the time… her with dried cranberries in one hand and dried cherries in the other and me with my mouth full of dried blueberries.

We’re a sight. Really we are.

These convenient snacks are the ideal way to get your family – and yourself – to eat healthier snacks.  Let’s face it, we’re going to nosh.  Shouldn’t we at least make the noshing beneficial?!

From Ocean Spray:

Ocean Spray’s new Dried Fruit, featuring Jumbo Dried Cranberries, Dried Cherries, and Dried Blueberries, is a fresh way for families to enjoy their favorite fruits year round.  Easy to carry and convenient to store, Ocean Spray Dried Fruit is perfect for a quick snack at home, at school, or on-the-go.  Each Dried Fruit flavor is fat-free, cholesterol-free, low in sodium and packed with a full serving of fruit in every 1/3 cup.  Look for Ocean Spray Dried Fruit in the produce aisle at your local supermarket.  –  Ocean Spray

I’ve eaten the Dried Blueberries in yogurt, Cherrio’s, and in oatmeal.  My favorite way, to be honest, is straight from the bag.  I do a lot of research on food for Get Cooking and a great deal of research on mental health and fitness for my mental fitness blog, Out of Bounds.  Healthy food has a great impact on our mental health, our memory, and our brain’s fitness.   My beloved blueberry is actually a mental superfood.

Research shows that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

Below are a few of the recent articles I’ve written on Out of Bounds about Blueberries and other “brain food”:

Drink This to Improve Your Memory

The Breakfast of Mental Champions

The Mediterranean Diet for Brain Health: Delicious!

Improve Your Memory and Stay Sharp One Crunch at a Time

The more I read, the more I realize that our bodies AND our minds are only as strong and fit as we “decide” they’ll be.  We make this decision every time we make a choice – if we choose exercise and healthy foods, we’ve decided that we want our bodies and minds to be as strong as they possibly can be.  When we choose a sedative lifestyle and unhealthy foods, we’ve decided that we’re okay with risking our physical and mental health – come what may.

I totally just went off on a rant. My apologies – healthy food is something I’m passionate about, especially when it comes to young people.

I hope you’ll try these delicious dried fruit snacks from Ocean Spray.  They’re outstanding and your family will actually WANT to eat them.   Fat free, low in sodium, and low-calorie.  This is how food was meant to be enjoyed!

For a fresh and wonderful salad I know you’ll love, see Ocean Spray’s Effortless Spinach Salad recipe.  It calls for Craisins which really gives it a kicky personality.

Head over to Ocean Spray’s fun website for more information and nutritional values.  And by the way, if you don’t see these snacks in your produce section, check the snack aisle as well as the Health Food section.  My favorite grocery store actually keeps them in the Health Food area.  Sounds about right to me.

Perfectly Peachy Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe

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I’m a total fruit fanatic and can never have enough fruit on hand. It’s healthy, delicious, fragrant, and a bowl of fruit (nature’s dessert) just makes a whole room look more attractive.

Below is one of my favorite recipes for fruit salad.  Feel free to experiment with different fruits, but don’t even think about leaving out the peaches.

Fresh Fruit Salad Recipe

2 Peaches
2 Apples
2 Nectarines
2 cups Strawberries
1 cup Red Seedless Grapes
1 cup White Seedless Grapes
2 Bananas
1 pkg. Peach Glaze
3 Tbs. Honey
3 Tbs. Lemon Juice

Use fresh fruit – very important! Slice and place the fruit combination into a large bowl. Combine the peach glaze, honey, and lemon juice. Pour over fruit and mix gently but well.

Keep refrigerated and just TRY not to eat it all at once!  I kid you now when I say this can easily pass for dessert.

Ocean Spray Juices That Give You Both Fruit and Veggies? Pour it On!

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For Self Help Daily, Out of Bounds, and Get Cooking, I do A LOT of research about healthy living, healthy eating, disease prevention, and nutrition. I’m amazed – again and again and again – at the number of times I read the words EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.  Whether an individual wants to prevent cancer, lose weight, look and feel their best, age well, improve their heart’s health,  improve their memory… or a countless other positive pursuit… the experts, without fail, point to the importance of a healthy diet – one in which many fruits and vegetables are consumed regularly.

It’s pretty easy for those of us who love fruits and vegetables.  We delight in our fruit and vegetables at supper and try to squeeze them into lunch and breakfast as often as possible.  Trouble is, it’s  not always as easy to do as it is to say. And if we think we have our hands full, just think how tough it is for those people who aren’t that crazy about fruit or vegetables – or those who, like a few members of my family, just want the same vegetables and fruits over and over again?!

Ocean Spray has served up a couple of delicious solutions.  I was fortunate enough to receive a few of their new outstanding juices.  I’ve tried the 100% Juice Fruit & Veggie Cranberry Strawberry Banana Flavored Blend of 8 Juices and the 100% Juice Fruit & Veggie Tropical Citrus flavored blend of 7 juices.

About the Ocean Spray Juices

When you think of Ocean Spray, you probably think of Cranberry Juice.  With the hilarious commercials (I love those guys!) and the popularity of the Cranberry juice, itself, their brand identity is as strong as any.  However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that Ocean Spray is cock of the walk when it comes to other juices and products as well.  You can taste the quality and the goodness in each drink.  If you’re like most of us, you’re looking for healthier drinks for your family to enjoy and would love to steer them away from soft drinks as much as possible.

The problem was that most juices just don’t motivate kids (or anyone for that matter) to put down the Coke and pick up the juice.  Ocean Spray is exactly what parents need – delicious motivation!  Their juices are also available in “On the Go” sizes that are perfect for grabbing on the way out the door whether you’re going for a walk, to the beach,  to the park, to a ballgame or just to sit in the front yard and watch the commotion around your bird feeder.

I’ve noticed something with my family – if I have juice in individual serving containers, they’re a lot more apt to grab them instead of something else.  Same holds true with water.  Most young people just don’t want to slow down long enough to get a glass, fill it with ice, get the container, and pour the juice in the glass.  After all… Heaven forbid… they’d then have to clean up after themselves.

Horrors!

From Ocean Spray.com:

When most people think of Ocean Spray, they think that we’re the Cranberry Juice folks. And if you’re reading this, then it’s likely you’re already a fan. The question is, which juice is your favorite? Check out all our varieties of cranberry juice, grapefruit juice and our juice blends.

My new favorites are the Fruit and Vegetable blends.  I think it’s partly because of all the research I do about nutrition and healthy living.  I KNOW the importance of getting more fruits and vegetables in every possible way.  Now, having said that, if these juices weren’t exceptional, I probably wouldn’t bother!  Fortunately, they are outstandingly delicious and I’d just as soon grab one of them for lunch or breakfast (or for a walk) as anything else.

To know that I’m drinking something that’s so good for me while serving up my taste buds a little party makes it all the better.

The next time you’re at the store, you’ll definitely want to try these juices for yourself.  They’ll flat blow you away.

For more information, recipes, and a super cool website experience, visit Ocean Spray’s website.

How to Make a Banana Smoothie

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I bought a new blender yesterday with one thing in mind – Smoothies! I’ve tried out a few and I’m completely hooked. So far, my favorites are Blueberry Smoothies, Strawberry Smoothies, and Banana Smoothies.

A banana smoothie is a healthy, quick cold treat that you can make any time of year, not just in summer. There are a variety of ways to make a banana smoothie, but in this article we’ll stick with the basics.

Here are the tools and utensils you’ll need to make your banana smoothie:

  • A blender
  • Knife to cut up your banana
  • Serving glasses
  • Measuring cups

And here are the ingredients that we’ll be using to make our banana smoothie:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 cup of crushed ice
  • 1 cup of cold milk
  • 1 tbsp of brown sugar

Here’s how to make the perfect banana smoothie every time

Some people like to freeze their banana first before adding it to the blender, but I find it turns out great using a regular room temperature banana.

Peel your banana and break it or cut it up into pieces and add it to your blender. Then pour in the ice, milk and add the brown sugar.

Turn on your blender and hold the top of the lid firmly in place. This is important because with something hard like ice inside, there’s a possibility that the lid could get knocked off and then you’d end up with a mess. If you don’t have crushed ice, use ice cubes instead, but pulse the blender a few times to break the ice cubes into smaller pieces.

Blending time should take about 30-60 seconds, but make sure your banana smoothie has a smooth creamy texture before serving.

When the mixture is finished blending, pour it out into a glass and if you decide to use a straw to drink from, use bigger straws to make it easier.

Video: How to make a banana smoothie

(I have no idea who this is in the video below – I just thought it might be helpful for my readers!)

I’ve become a Smoothie addict, so you’ll be seeing plenty of smoothie recipes, tips, and what not. I’m working on iced coffee drinks as well…. I’ll bet you already assumed that. So transparent.