Cherry-Almond Crumble~

Photo from Eating Well

Cherries are a good source of potassium. Increasing evidence shows that a diet rich in potassium may help to control blood pressure and reduce the risk for hypertension and stroke.



A fruit crumble offers the luscious flavor of a fresh fruit pie without the fuss of making a crust. The nut-studded topping works great with other fruit combinations too. If you prefer, you can leave the nuts out of it all together.

8 servings, 1/2 cup each
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients
Filling
1 1/2 pounds sweet cherries, (5 cups), pitted (see Tip)
1 cup raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon kirsch, or brandy (optional)

Topping2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, (not instant)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon chopped slivered almonds, or walnuts
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat vanilla ice cream, or nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish (or similar 1 1/2- to 2-quart dish) with cooking spray.

To make the filling: Combine cherries, raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and kirsch or brandy (if using) in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Place the filling in the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping: Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl with a fork. Add butter and blend with a pastry blender or your fingertips. Add oil and stir to coat. Add orange juice concentrate and blend with your fingertips until dry ingredients are moistened.

When the filling has baked for 20 minutes, stir it and sprinkle the topping evenly over the surface. Sprinkle with almonds (or walnuts). Bake, uncovered, until fruit is bubbly and tender and topping is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream (or frozen yogurt), if desired.

Tips & Notes
Tip: You can purchase gadgets designed for pitting both cherries and olives at kitchenware stores.

NutritionPer serving: 248 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 52 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 5 g fiber; 17 mg sodium; 371 mg potassium.
Such a low cal, delicious dessert!



Check out this Cherry Blossom glass cutting board ~

I like it.
I may have to purchase it.


If you're interested in it, you can find it HERE

I am not paid for advertising, I just like to share the things I like :)
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Dairy Myths VS. Fact & Chicken Parmesan Sub

Sunnyside in Fairfield, CA is one of the milk processing plants our milk is delivered to after it's picked up by DFA (Dairy Farmers of America). I snapped a couple of photos of it on our way home from our snow trip yesterday....
Dairy Myths VS. Fact 
Myth: The reason the price of milk is going up in the grocery store is so dairy farmers can get rich. 
Fact: On average, dairy farmers receive 30 cents of every retail dollar. 


Myth: Large farms aren’t family farms.
Fact: According to USDA, about 99 percent of all U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and operated. 


Myth: Large, “corporate farms” force small, family farms out of business. 
Fact: There are approximately more than 60,000 dairy farms in America and the approximate average herd size is 150 cows. According to USDA, the majority (77 percent) of all U.S. dairy farms have less than 100 cows. 
Myth: Pesticides are overused and end up in milk.


Fact: Pesticides are not a health concern in any milk products. Thorough testing and stringent government standards ensure that all milk is safe, pure and nutritious. Dairy farmers consistently meet or exceed safety regulations on pesticide use. 


Myth: All milk – except organic milk – contains antibiotics.
Fact: All milk is carefully tested for antibiotics. Any milk that tests positive is disposed of immediately, and does not enter into the food supply. Before the milk can be unloaded at the processing plant, each load is tested for antibiotic residues. If the milk shows no evidence of antibiotics, it is pumped into the plant's holding tanks for further processing. If the milk does not pass antibiotic testing, the entire truck load of milk is discarded and the farm samples are tested to find the source of the antibiotic residues. Regulatory action is taken against the farm with the positive antibiotic test. Positive antibiotic tests are rare, and account for far less than 1% of the tank loads of milk delivered to processing plants. 


Myth: Today’s dairy cow is treated like nothing more than a milk machine. 
Fact: Dairy cows must be healthy and well cared for in order to produce pure, wholesome milk.


Myth: Dairy cows are kept in cramped, dirty quarters without access to the outdoors.
Fact: Cow comfort is very important to dairy farmers. Ensuring that clean, dry bedding is available to cows at all times, in addition to providing healthy living conditions, are top priorities to dairy farmers. 


Myth: Baby calves are mistreated and don’t receive proper attention.
Fact: To help protect calves, dairy farmers place them in clean, dry, individual pens shortly after birth to control their environment, administer proper nutrition and vaccinations, and get them off to a healthy start. 


Myth: Modern dairy farmers don’t practice sustainable agriculture.
Fact: Dairy farmers depend on land, air and water as part of their livelihood. In fact, dairy farms must follow strict state and local water quality regulations, and meet standards for manure storage, handling and recycling per guidelines from state and federal agencies.


Chicken Parmesan Sub
Ingredients 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts), (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts) 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 6-ounce bags baby spinach 1 cup marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium (see Tip) 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella 4 soft whole-wheat sandwich rolls, toasted


Preparation Position oven rack in top position; preheat broiler. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Place chicken between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy saucepan until the chicken is an even 1/4-inch thickness. Dip the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add half the chicken and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken; transfer to the baking sheet.
Top each piece of chicken with the wilted spinach, marinara sauce and Parmesan. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Serve on rolls.


Tips & Notes Tip: Refrigerate leftover marinara sauce for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.


Nutrition Per serving: 467 calories; 13 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g mono); 78 mg cholesterol; 48 g carbohydrates; 42 g protein; 5 g fiber; 762 mg sodium; 791 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (160% daily value), Vitamin C (46% dv) Folate (43% dv), Magnesium (26% dv).

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How Many Calories In This Muffin?!

How many calories do you think one of these muffins contain? Over 500 calories! When you add a medium sized latte to that, we are talking over 700calories just for breakfast. If you are like me, you visit your local coffee house one or two times a week. I enjoy the treat of a decaf latte while getting one of my daily dairy servings at the same time. Thinking to myself that I am being healthy by also ordering a low fat muffin for breakfast as well. Even the low fat version of this muffin is high in calories as well. Well, its time to start baking my own low-fat, low-calorie version, of a healthy muffin instead. They can easily be frozen and they're also great added to your kid's lunch box. Here is a recipe I found that is absolutely scrumptious! Enjoy! Lemon-Raspberry Muffins Ingredients 1 lemon 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip) 1/3 cup canola oil 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup white whole-wheat flour, or whole-wheat pastry flour (see Shopping Tip) 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries Preparation1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners. 2.Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended. 3.Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. 4.Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm. Tips & Notes Make Ahead Tip: Wrap each in plastic and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap muffin in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds. Tip: No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup milk. Shopping Tip: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole wheat. Whole-wheat pastry flour can be used as a substitute here. Both can be found in the natural-foods section of the supermarket. Nutrition Per muffin: 185 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 245 mg sodium; 42 mg potassium. 2 Carbohydrate Serving Pin It