LIdl Comes To The Cold Rescue

 What to do in a heat wave? Head to your nearest Lid!! Yes the air conditioning is bliss  but there's another reason   they have the best ices and ice creams. There's so much to choose from, whether's it's ice pops or a cone.Best of all they're so delicious.

I am a huge fan of anything LIdl and ices. Of course I have their various  Gelatelli ice pops. Their fruit pops are the best

The mango pops have chunks of mango in them and they're a refreshing fruity break from these blistering days. The watermelon bars are half the size but still frosty and tasty. I love these.They have the same taste as watermelon bubblegum! So delicious.

This is another favorite. Blueberry and pomegranate are surprisingly good together and it's a different take on the classic Popsicle. There;s not many blueberry  or even pomegranate ices out there. This is unusual and not that sweet. Of course Lidl also has yummy ice creams from their Bon Gelati line of gelato in tubs. its' so creamy , reminiscent of fresh made ice cream from a creamery, Their sherbet is also on my radar along with their tubs of ice cream. I have cones and Lidl's version of the hard shell chocolate covering. It;s time to make my own treats instead of heading out in the heat for them.

It's an oven out there. Head to Lidl for tasty sweet and frozen treats. They'll cool you off in no time.

Isabella's Cookies Sweet Treats For A Hot Day

 Let's face it.It's too hot to bake. yet what do you do when you want a homemade cookie on a hot August Day?You get Isabella's Cookies. These chocolate chips come in so many different varieties of one cookie. They're the perfect accompaniment with a tall iced coffee.

These are definitely my new favorite cookies. The company comes from sunny Redondo Beach,California and some of the cookies do have a laid back SoCal vibe to them. Jennifer Palmer founded the company in 2001 and brought forth all natural  baking. The cookies have no preservatives in them and only pure ingredients like Madagascar Bourbon vanilla and pure chocolate chips along with creamy peanut butter ones

She offers a whopping thirty !!!!!!! different types of chocolate chips that range from the Muffie which has white chocolate chips and chocolate covered blueberries to the Matinee which is studded with both chocolate covered raisins and plain ones.

There are also the V-chip one of the many vegan cookies offered.

That and the Muffie are my favorites. A close second is the Aloha which not only has white chocolate chips but everything Hawaiian fruit like coconut, macadamia nuts and pineapple. I like the V chip which has a swirl of peanut butter through each cookie. Right now you can find them at Whole Foods or buy them on line.

It's hot.It's mid August. Why bake when you can have one of Isabella's chock full of chocolate chips cookie. Have it with your favorite iced coffee or iced tea.

Fruity Desserts

 It's definitely time to put away all those cold weather ingredients.leave the cinnamon for the fall. It's too hot to fool with chocolate . Your best bet is fruit. There's nothing like a sweet treat loaded with the bounty of the season.

Strawberries are always a good addition to any cake, cupcake, muffin and even bread. Just keep in the mind that the berries should be pulverized then cooked down over a low flame.let this cool and you can fold into the batter. You can do the same for strawberry frosting too.(Keep in mind this is also wonderful on chocolate cake and cupcakes too. Another lovely and colorful treat is strawberry bread.This is perfect to make for Sunday teas or showers. It can be topped off with a vanilla glaze icing if you like , if not it's good on it's own,It's a quick bread so there'[s no yeast involved, just baking soda and baking powder for rise.Many home bakers low baking a strawberry and rhubarb pie. This is combining another harvest of the season, rhubarb with the berries for a sweet and tangy flavor. You can add just a teaspoon of orange juice to punctuate the other two's flavors. It's just stirring the cut rhubarb and berries with brown sugar, orange juice , cornstarch (for thickening, vanilla and salt. BAke in a traditional rolled out pie crust.

Of course the other star of the season is the blueberry. We're almost upon it here in New Jersey where it will last for three months until August. Again they're as versatile as the strawberry. Most home chefs love creating a Sunday morning stack of blueberry pancakes to start the day. Yet it can also work in another breakfast staple -  strata. Think a bread pudding scattered with the berries and then topped off with a home cooked  blueberry sauce. Use cubed French bread for this, layer it over blueberries and cream cheese. Then let it soak in an egg , milk and maple syrup overnight. While the strata is baking make the syrup. THis involves cooking down the berries with a mix of cornstarch, sugar and water.  Butter is added to this for richness and then poured on individual slices of the strata. (you could also save the syrup to pour over vanilla ice cream too).Peach season is also coming up. There are so many wonderful recipes to try with this ripe, plump fruit.They wonderful in such old fashioned desserts as buckles and crisps.A buckle is an easy egg free batter that just consists of milk ,f lower baking soda and salt.It;s wicked together and then spread in a pan .Layers of thinly sliced peaches are placed on top of it.A buckle is good with a blob of vanilla ice cream or freshly made whipped cream.

Fruit is the star of the season. Try any Berry or peach in a sweet dessert.It;'s tasting the bounty of Spring

Fungies A Diet Must Have

 No matter how old you are you need suppliments. it could be vitamins, protein  powders or natural herbs. There's a great new addition to any diet - Fungies Lion Mane Gummies. They're great for boosting moods along with improving meomory and mood

I need these in my life because I suffer from sciatica which is probably caused from inflammation of some kind. There are days when it's impossible to walk or even stand. Lion's mane, a white shaggy looking mushroom (that looks exactly like its' name) is great for reducing any kind of inflammation. I'm taking my two a day to help with this and regain moibility. The mushroom is also a  great mood booster, staving off anxiety and depression along with helping the mind to remember.It's also good for preventing dementia and helping with deterring diabetes.

Another plus is that they're gummies .The bottle has both strawberry and blueberry flavors and they're easy to take at any time of day.Another reason why I like them. Some suppliments are like horse pills with a bitter taste.These have a juicy, all natural flavor that you can take with breakfast or even after a meal. That's what company founder Rob Kaufman thought too. He turned lion's mane into a flavorful plus in any diet.

Get a bottle of Fungie's Lion Mane's gummies. They are not only great for you but great tasting.They're perfect for combatting everything from crippling  inflammation to boosting a bad mood and foggy memory.

Roar With Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions

 This is the time of year when our systems need boosts. This year is especially important because of the Corona virus. Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions is just the boost we need.

Roar has both the powdered sticks and bottled infusions. I like the already made bottled ones which are perfect with lunch or dinner. They're also great when you've got mid afternoon cravings  for something sweet and refreshing too. Another plus is that they're  seventy per cent less sugar than most juices and forty per cent less than power drinks. 

The infusions comes in four tasty flavors, all with a summery vibe. There is  cucumber and watermelon along with mango clementine.

The other two flavors are blueberry acai and Georgia peach, the last is quickly becoming my favorite, although they're all delicious. I'm thinking of turning them into Slushies too when the warm weather comes. Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions can be found at any Wal-mart or Costco.

Our bodies need food and drink that will give us our needed boost during these difficult health challenged times. Roar Organic Electrolyte Infusions is just that. Try these refreshing drinks to replenish your body and quench your thirst.

Ayo A Tasty Almond Yogurt

Yogurts are always good for you. Add almond milk to the mix and it gets even better.AYO Almond milk yogurt is just that, good for you along with being delicious and even refreshing.

AYO is one of the oldest yogurt companies, starting in 1913 by the Billings family. They grew almonds in the San Joaquin Valley and also own Billings Ranch and Pacific Almond. The last produces a variety of different nut milks and even soups including bone broth. Being a big fan of anything almond, I decided to give the yogurts a try.
             

The four flavors are vanilla, peach , blueberry, and strawberry. They're not as thick as traditional yogurts, being made with almond milk. 

The texture's a bit like the Indian yogurt drink lassi, very liquid-y. All

the flavors , are colored the same , thanks to the addition of red cabbage extract

The vanilla is delicate in flavor while the fruit ones have small bits of peaches, strawberries or whole blueberries. They are perfect because they're not overpowering in taste. I think AYO yogurt would be good frozen as an ice cream. It seems to lend itself to it.They are low in calories too, another reason to love them. The blueberry and strawberry are only 150 while the peach and vanilla are 160 calories.

AYO almond milk yogurt is the perfect and refreshing summer snack. It's good for you and good for the planet. Try a  cooling cup today to beat the heat.

Lent And Giving Up

Today is Mardi Gras if you're in New Orleans and Carnavale if you're in Europe and South America. It's a night of wild drinking and feasting - because tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. It's Lent and that means giving up the drinks and foods we love. Or will we?

Lent is the period of fasting between Ash Wednesday and Easter. It's always a time of giving up.  The practice started centuries ago as a way to extend the amount of vital products such as meat and dairy for the community. Some Christian religions like the Greek , Russian and Coptic Orthodoxy have strict fasting days when only vegetables are allowed. Everything else, from eggs to wine, meat to fish are strictly forbidden. The Catholics have relaxed the fasting rules tremendously and only two days , Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are restricted to total fasting. Then there's the practice of giving up one food or habit that you love. Many go for the first , not wanting to cut back on cigarettes or alcohol. Some do go dry for Lent, which is relatively easy. There are mocktails, made with fresh juice and seltzer and non alcoholic ciders and beers. Yet it can be hard, especially after a long hard day or week. A lot of people are into a glass of wine a day. It relaxes them, and helps them get through a rough period of hard work and bratty kids.It would be hard to give that up especially if someone does have a difficult life.

If you thought giving up a margarita or a Pinot Grigio for forty days is hard, then feel sorry for those that give up anything sugary.We're hardwired to eat sugar since our Neanderthal days. It was our way of discerning what was safe for us to eat (namely  naturally sweet things such as  non-poisonous berries and fruits). Yet unlike alcohol, sweet , sugary things are all around us. Can we really walk into our grocery stores and completely ignore those displays of freshly baked cupcakes and cookies? What about the cookie or candy aisle that's like an altar to our food desires? Lent is a good time to give those up and head on to the fruit section. An apple is just as sweet and satisfying as an Oreo, yet, there's something about that cookie and others that make us feel happy - especially after a rough day. The same philosophy with candy. Yes, those blueberries are fun to pop into our mouths but so are M&M's. Can we give up those? Maybe  - but not for forty days. Ice cream is another food to give up. You can, there are ways around it, namely having Greek yogurt with honey or maple syrup mixed in. This is a really good sub and healthy for you too. Still, it's a hard sell, especially with the wide variety of tempting iced treats out there.

Can we stick to our Lenten promises? The only answer is try.The best bet is see how long you can do it. Maybe you can this year.

B Nutty Peanut Butter B Good

Can peanut butter be improved? Surprisingly yes. A new company out of Indiana has come up with gourmet peanut butter.that not only honey roasted peanuts but such yummy addins such as blueberry, chocolate, caramel and even pretzels.

I decided to try B Nutty since I like crunchy all natural peanut butter. 

The first was the blueberry flavored one, made wit real berries and has a PB &J flavor.

This is the blueberry which also has milk chocolate added. It's good on a sweet bread or bun like a brioche roll. The blueberry flavor is strong and it makes for a good lunch.

I also ordered pretzels and white chocolate

This has large bits of gluten free pretzels mixed in along with white chocolate.It's good on a sweet bread but even better as a dip for pretzels and Social Tea cookies.

These are the bits of  pretzels. Imagine dipping pretzel rods in this.

Then there is toffee, milk chocolate and almonds.

Again, it's good slathered on brioche bread, but also good on pretzels too. It would be a great layer in brownies too. B Nutty also has plain and one loaded with cranberries. There are seasonal ones too such as Cinnamon sugar cookie and Peppermint Brownie ???.

BNutty amps up peanut butter a few notches. It's a neat spin on an American classic. It will also make you never want just plain old peanut butter again.

The Best Kombucha Guide

One of the best beverages to drink is kombucha. It's  not only good for you but good tasting as well.It's easy to make, being a fermented drink that can be home brewed. Now there's a new recipe book out , filled with refreshing and delicious tea and infusion ideas. All it takes is kombucha, water and favorite fruits,vegetables,flowers and herbs. It's then a variety of healthful, probiotic drinks.

Louise Avery wrote Living Tea (Ryland, Peters, and Small Publishers 2016,) wrote this fascinating and interesting recipe book.Many people are embracing this invigorating drink, as they're embracing other fermenting foods.What exactly is kombucha?It's a naturally sparkling fermented tea full of probiotics, along with beneficial enzymes and antioxidants. Drunk regularly like water it can cure stomach problems, mood swings and bloating.It has been around for 2,000 years , originating first in China and then moving west into Russia and  the rest of Europe. It is easy to make but you need SCOBY or symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast. The book lists a number of sites where you can buy it both in the US and UK. The fermentation itself also requires not only sugar and water but also special bottles such as the brewing vessels along with a thermometer and pH strips for gauging. Ms. Avery also lists the many other essentials needed for creating the drink.There is also a section on bottling and storing as well as caring for the SCOBY. She advises about how much to drink too. Kombucha is addictive, thanks to its' soda like fizziness and sweet flavor.

The book has a wide array of different add ins as well as pictorial how to with Ms. Avery showing the various steps of preparation. The recipes are divided into bases such as fruit,vegetable,flower and herb,spice and tea.She combines pears and ginger for drink full of earthiness and heat. There is a festive blood orange zinged up with bitters along with a.grapefruit and rosemary kombuicha. There are also kombuchas that feature sweet raspberries and blueberries.The last is even blended with lemonade. Veggies aren't really known for infusing teas, yet there  are vital ingredients for a flavorful brew here.Rhubarb, a veggie, usually used in pies,is turned into a tart,refreshing tea when paired with Granny Smith apples. There is a Virgin Mary recipe that combines Bloody Mary ingredients with unflavored kombucha for an eye opening breakfast beverage. Ms. Avery uses a bouquet of different flowers for floral based teas.She even recommends raiding the garden for buds and petals. There is a delicate rose petal that has overtones of the Mideast. Hibiscus petals and lavender also grace delicately scented drinks. Herbs are also used in creating tasty and healthful tonics such as one infused with turmeric. There is a guest recipe from Kombucha Brooklyn  , from owners Eric and Jessica Childs that combines different teas such as silver needle and white peony.for

Living Tea is a wonderful book that introduces people to the joys of brewing kombucha. It's is the perfect guide to creating healthy probiotic drinks that improve one's life. It is the perfect holiday gift for friends, family and even yourself!

Sauces And Salsas And Ketchup , Oh My!!

It's late summer and that means bumper crops, namely tomatoes.Luckily these ruby red gems can be turnd into a a variety of dishes that can be eaten later on. Tomatoes are one  the most versatile garden fruits, Transform them into anything and the result is a tasty dish.

Of course all home chefs will tell you a tomato garden's overage can be made into a sauce, perfect for pasta.There are so many to make that you can have an entire month of them. If you're looking into a right now sauce think then salsa crudo, This is one of the easiest pasta sauces to make.It's taking ripe tomatoes and mixing them with olive oil and seasoning  along with minced garlic  Set the sauce aside for half an hour or more (a day would be ideal to let all the flavors meld together) and then pour over any kind of pasta. Capers,or  black pitted olives can be added to zing it up.The extra tomatoes can also be cooked into a regular sauce.It is labor intensive but worth it,Most recipes call for four tomatoes but  you could even double or triple the recipe..Making home made tomato sauce is also a great way of using those extra basil leaves.You can also add a good pinch of hot pepper flakes to make an arrabiata sauce. Another spin is roasting the tomatoes first for a deep smoky flavor., perfect for any meat sauce. You can also  make a pizza sauce using fresh tomatoes too.It's basically the same as pasta sauce save for the inclusion of thyme, onions and two tablespoons of sugar.

Those tomatoes can be used for everyone's favorite dip - salsa. It's a great snack that's also super healthy and packed with nutrition.It's an easy mix of fresh tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. For heat throw in minced jalapenos .Lime juice is also added along with that Mexican staple cilantro. You could even  add a dash of cumin if you wanted. The tomatoes can be roasted for a smokier, deeper taste This would be great topping beef tacos or fajitas. If you want a  sweeter sauce do the unexpected - throw in some unsweetened raspberries - they're also going through a second season right now . Blueberry tomato salsa is another great marriage of flavors and it's not only good with corn chips but also with beef or chicken.Many tomato growers and home chefs have experimented with ketchup recipes.It's not as difficult as you might think.It does require a slow cooker and an immersion blender.The tomatoes do need to be cooked down and occasionally blended with the blender.The spicing is important too because this is what gives the condiment its' kick.It needs sugar, honey or molasses along with apple cider vinegar to give it that sweet tang.Cinnamon and clover are also added along with Dijon mustard and Worcester sauce. Once you get the hang of making ketchup, it's pretty easy and can be made in batches for holiday and birthday gifts.

The last of the tomatoes means sauce, salsa and ketchup  long after summer ends. You'll have that  fresh taste all year round. It's a perfect end to a bountiful season.

Viki's Granola A Treat Throughout The Day

What can start off your day, be a great snack in the afternoon and top off your dessert? Viki's Granola. This tasty and good for you treat can be used so many different ways. Not only that -it's a spoonful of nutrition, thanks to it being packed with simple ingredients like oats, nuts and honey.

Viki's Granola was started by Viki Sater in 2011, mainly by popular demand. Ms. Sater often made her homemade granola for her kids' school's bake sales. It was the first item sold out with locals who wanted more.Even the principal called in requests.  The mix became the star of every bake sale, thanks to a growing fan base.What was a passion now had the potential to become a thriving business. It's now sold in Wegman's Whole Foods, Stop & Shop and Jewel Osco. Her success was meteoric and this year she was named one of New York Business Journal's Women of Influence. Her product is one of the few out there that uses all natural ingredients.Gluten free oats are blended with honey, and canola oil for flavor and binding.Coconut flakes are a main ingredient too in all the flavors. The blueberry and almond has the nut slivers and dried blueberries, Her maple cranberry not only has pure maple syrup and dried cranberries for color and flavor but also chopped walnuts. The banana walnut has healthy sized dried banana chips and large pieces of walnuts while the apple cinnamon has a good dollop of the dried fruit and spice but also raisins and pecans too. Even the original recipe has the perk of sunflower seeds, sliced almonds and pecans.

I love this granola, especially the banana walnut!It makes for not only a good snack but a nice way to start a day.It's sweet without being cloyingly so.The granola is also a nice nibble on its' own,With every pinch being loaded with nuts and fruit.I'm also going to be topping my banana "ice cream" with it for a healthier spin.I can also make pops and roll them in the granola for a tasty and crunchy coating. Home bakers can use the granola to top off banana bread or muffins.Jazz up pancakes and waffles with them or make a sweet breakfast pizza , sprinkling the granola over a sweet bread crust loaded with sliced bananas , strawberries and vanilla flavored Greek yogurt.Any of Viki's granola flavors can be used in making cookies too as seen on the recipe section of Viki's website. There are some yummy ones especially the granola truffles made with chocolate, heavy cream and butter, then rolled in the original recipe granola.. There are also fun granola bites which would add to a holiday cookie platter. It's just chocolate chips mixed with peanut butter and coated with granola. Kids will love the banana pops, frozen bananas dipped in chocolate  and then dipped again in the banana walnut mix. The granola can be used in salads, surprisingly and as a coating for chicken - and also for pork too..

Viki's Granola is a versatile blend of flavors and textures in a healthy mix that features oats ,honey and nuts. Try any of the flavors for breakfast or as a snack, Better yet add it to any dessert or baked treat for added goodness.It's not only healthy but versatile too.

Red , White And Berry

Berries are everywhere right now, from straw to blue. Most foodies eat them plain or with a good dollop of whipped cream yet they're versatile in everything, from salads to all sorts of desserts.Try them in barbecue sauce or in a fresh summer salad.

Of course berries are used in baking. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are popular this weekend  because of their patriotic colors. Melissa Clark wrote about them in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section, She arranged them in festive red and blue stripes in a buckwheat (!) cake made with buttermilk  The fruit adds a nice tartness because it's been baked and absorbed by the crumb. Another fun Fourth idea is making either a chocolate or vanilla sheet cake , icing it with whipped cream and decorate with berries to create the Stars And Stripes.It's a fun end to a barbecue. The idea can be carried over to cupcakes. Cupcakes can also be filled with a mix of chopped fruit and cream or pudding for a neat surprise.One of the easiest desserts to make with any berry is the crisp.It's cooking the fruit with a crunchy topping of brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.Usually made with apples the recipe can be expanded to include blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. Cobblers are another great summer dessert that highlight any berry's juiciness. They're a bit more involved than a crisp , resembling a cake but they are still easy enough to bake on a hot summer's day. For a cooler treat think berry infused sorbets or old fashioned ice cream with whole cream and fresh produce.

Not surprisingly berries can be used in savory dishes as well.Salads always benefit from them, whether as a tangy dressing or a zesty addition, One tasty mix is taking half a pound of strawberries and mixing them with honey, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Use it for dressing a grilled chicken and spring green salad. Blackberries and even blueberries would not only add some sweetness but also color to a steak salad. Toss a few in with some chopped  bell peppers and grape tomatoes for a spin on a classic salad. Any berry can be used in barbecue sauce.Imagine a raspberry barbecue sauce slathered on ribs. The sauce is easy to make. Take a cup of raspberries and blend with a variety of sweeteners such as brown sugar, molasses and light corn syrup. Garlic , red pepper and onion flakes zing it up.The base is balsamic vinegar and olive oil.It's pureed and strained through a sieve to get rid of the seeds. Ever think of blueberry ketchup? Yes, it can be made, In fact one of the original recipes was made solely from them.It's a mix of the fruit along with shallots, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic and ginger. The flavor is bright and fruity, sort of jammy  yet perfect for those grilled burgers or for giving those cookout some zing.

Get red white and berry this July Fourth and for the rest of the summer. Use blueberries in a ketchup. Strawberries in a crisp. Blackberries in a salad. It's the season for them so enjoy them.

Fior Di Frutta Jams All Natural All Perfect

The taste of fresh fruit is always heavenly.Nothing beats the burst of the sweet, earthy flavor of any summer fruit. Luckily we can have that taste all year round now thanks to Rigoni di Asiago's line of fruit spreads. They  let us have the summer harvests well after the season.

The company is known for their yummy, all natural chocolate hazelnut spread or nocciolata. I'm a big fan of this, especially when it's slathered over a croissant. I am now a fan of their jams.The company is a throwback to an earlier era when spreads were made without all the preservatives and added sugar.It is owned by the Rigoni family since the early 1920's in the Altipiano de Asiago in the northern most part of the Venato province in northeastern Italy. The section is an idyllic farmland and recreational area, perfect for growing fruit  and nut trees.The matriarch of the family, Elisa Rigoni, widowed during the First World War , started first with honey to support herself and her children and then her grandchildren created their line of organic fruit spreads in 1997. The spreads(they're really not jams)are totally organic and healthy, being sweetened by apples.- not the usual refined white sugar.They are popular  throughout the world and are number one in Italy.Nocciolata followed and now they're launching a new product- an apple syrup which can be used in cooking and baking as well as in drinks.

The fruit spreads are a must have.They come in a variety of delicious flavors and have a just made that day flavor. They have apricot and peach  along with blueberry, cranberry and raspberry. There is also blackberry and the highly unusual grapefruit spread along with pomegranate and fig.There is also pear and black currant as well as the refreshing lingonberry, lemon and orange. Fioredifrutta has also created a tasty mixed berry  that is a blend of five different berries, black and red currents and the added fillip of rose hips. I love the blueberry and peach flavors, they are perfect as a topper on morning toast and croissants. Any of the spreads would be excellent in parfaits whether they be  layered with ice cream or Greek yogurt. Surprisingly they could also be used for barbecue glazes or even  sauces. Imagine paring chicken wings and legs with the orange, lemon or grapefruit for a tasty and different barbecue, Lingonberry and black current would be excellent on pork chops. Mix the spreads with olive oil, garlic and a variety of spices for homemade dipping sauces. Layer them on graham crackers with toasted marshmallows for a fruity spin on s'mores. Any of the Fioredifrutta spreads would be excellent in a vinaigrette sauce. Just add a dollop or two to oil and vinegar and mix well.

There's nothing like the taste of fresh fruit. Luckily the Rigoni family knows this and has created a variety of flavorful spreads perfect for any dish. Try them and enjoy the flavor of a ripe harvest

A Fool For April's Fool

What better dessert for today and for the rest of Spring than a fool.This traditionally English dessert is easy to make and a great way for both kids and adults to eat fruit.As the season progresses you can have fresh strawberry, peach or blueberry fool.This is a treat that can also be varied and amped up. Fools have been around since the time of the Plantagenets and got into full gear during Elizabeth I's reign.It's an easy dessert (and I'm surprised it's not common here in the States, given its' easiness). The name possibly could come from the Old French word fouler to crush ,but it's not certain.It's is the perfect dessert for a neophyte cook who is trying to impress. Slice any kind of fruit into small pieces and cook with sugar until semi soft.Fold into already whipped cream ,swirling the fruit mixture into pretty whorls.The English still use currants and gooseberries which tints the cream a lovely deep purple with strands of lavender.The original recipe also says you can use apples but berries work the best.Strawberries are good as are blueberries however you can also try blackberries for more bite or raspberries for a more mellow flavor.Peaches are also good too. You may want to spike them with some sweet white wine when cooking them.Rhubarb is also puller although it does require a lot of cooking and sugar Fools can also be varied in ingredients. a traditional fool may have just custard or a blend of custard and cream well mixed so it's light and airy.What I would do is make zabaglione and stir in fresh cut strawberries or blackberries ,letting these cook as the custard cooks.Don't add overly sweet fruit to this Italian classic.It's already sweet from the sugar and Marsala already added.One of the best British dessert is Eton mess.It originally served at Eton during the summer cricket games, this is mix of meringues,broken into a strawberry fool.You can try this too with chocolate snaps( those one you use for that easy refrigerator log) .For the cream.whip in shaved dark chocolate to the cream.You can also add a surprise layer of homemade fudge sauce too.Again,if you're making this ,stick with cherries,strawberries or raspberries. Make a yummy fool. Not just for today but for the days ahead.Spring will give us some of the best fruit.Use it in a light and airy dessert , perfect for the warm days ahead.

Pie Time, sugar lemon juice

August means a bumper crop of fresh fruits. Cherries, apples , peaches and blueberries abound which means they're always at hand. This cornucopia of  summer's bounty also means enough fruit for homemade pie filling. There's nothing like a homemade pie bursting with rich rip flavors.

This was the subject of an article by Cathy Barrow in the New York Times Dining section on Wednesday/. She cannot pick a better time for pie filling because this si the high season for fruits. What's great about pie filling is that you can make it for now or for baking during the holidays. Another plus is that it's super easy to make and you don't have to rely on those tinned versions that are full of chemicals. You can enjoy a pie that is all natural from the crust to the inside.

This recipe is for blueberry filling but it can be used for any kind of fruit. The ingredients are simple.They're a mix of conrstarch, sugar lemon juice and of course the fruit of choice. Ms Barrow also give the option of almond extract and Grand Marnier for extra zing however it's up to you to add what you want. It's a simple boiling and then like jam , poured into sterilized jars. These are again placed in boiling water  and sealed securely with sealing rings. The filling can keep up for nine months.Most however are used way before that expiration date.

There's nothing more delicious than a freshly baked pie. Adding to its' rich flavor is a homemade filling with fresh picked fruit. The taste is amazing  - a perfect salute to the bounty of the summer

Juiced Up

Nothing beats a glass of freshly made juice. It's not only delicious but good for you.It's full of vitamins and antioxidants and devoid of preservatives. Best of all you can get your daily requirement of both fruits and veggies in just one serving.

I just came into juicing thanks to buying the Juiceman juicer yesterday. Excitedly, after I purchased it I went into my local grocery store and went wild in the produce section. I bought kale, carrots and a  a ton of strawberries and blueberries.Assembling the machine took some doing and time but once I had all the parts in place there was no stopping me. I made a strawberry blueberry combo with a touch of kale and carrot.It was really delicious and fresh tasting. Even better was freezing the leftover mash to make an all natural Italian ice.Some of the nutritional value does go a day later however this is the healthiest and best dessert I've ever had.I plan on filling up my Popsicle molds with future fruit mashes  for a better tasting, less sugar riddled frozen fruit bar.

There was an accompanying recipe book that is amazing too. There are so many recipes to try from berry and apple blends  to fresh  citrus squeezes. Juiceman comes with a special citrus squeezer and pit displacer , I would love to make my own limeade and lemonade as well as trying the different  fruit and veggie combos the book suggested. Juiceman 's website also has recipes too and again there are a few that look tasty enough to try. They also suggest using the leftover veggie mash for sauces and the leftover fruit pulp for puddings and cakes along with different desserts.(although I think turning it into a healthy ice is a juicer's best bet)!

For all those health conscious foodies out there, get a juicer.It will be the best thing that happened to your health and your body! Your diet will be much improved by adding all natural juice combos to it. Better yet, you'll just love creating your own blends and mixes.