Tags
blueberry pancakes, compote, homemade frozen yogurt, organic, pesticides, smoothies, wild frozen blueberries
The fantastically simple frozen blueberry has become my best culinary friend.
In the winter I used it as a tasty addition to our morning hot cereal and a lovely compote for french toast or pancakes. On these hot spring days they have become stand alone snacks, creating dark purple tongues and fingers. Not to mention, that they are the perfect addition to any frozen fruit smoothie. They are not so sweet that I worry about Miles getting too much sugar in his diet, they are a perfect little finger food for him and the antioxidants are keeping us all healthy during allergy season and the crazy temperature changes. They can be used for baking, added to pancake batter, topping for a summer salad or made into a homemade frozen yogurt dessert. I use organic or wild blueberries because of the high absorption of pesticides in conventionally farmed berries. Using frozen berries is a great help to those of us that don’t always use fruit immediately and end up wasting gobs of money when the fruit starts to rot in the bottom of the fridge. All in all, I feel that the uses are limitless and it’s no wonder that a bag of frozen blueberries has become a true staple in my kitchen.
I’m really looking forward to picking my own this year so that I can stock my freezer for far less money. I haven’t gone berry picking since I was a kid. There is definitely something wonderful about hunting down the best, plumpest berries and ending the day with a full container and nearly black hands. I know it will be a challenge getting any fruit in the container with Miles helping. But, it will be so nice getting outside and watching him discover that one of his favorite foods grows on a bush, not in a bag.
Last Night’s Smoothie:
2- cups of plain yogurt (I use the organic whole milk creme top by Stonyfield)
1- cup of frozen mango chunks
1 1/2- cups of frozen wild blueberries
1- banana broken into chunks
1- cup of milk (I use organic whole milk)
1/4- cup organic raw agave nectar to sweeten (optional)
Place all ingredients in blender. If it’s too thick for the blender to handle, add more milk. It’s meant to be thick like a good shake. You can use any frozen fruit that you like, just remember that berries absorb more pesticides than other fruits because of their porous skins, so organic is best. For a great baby/toddler meal, mix the smoothie with some baby cereal so it’s easy to eat with a spoon.
