Watermelon

We have our first tasty watermelon of the year. I've been too chicken to buy one since last year I was cursed with a puny watermelon jinx and I didn't get one all year. And I live in Texas. I got about 5 crappy watermelons before I gave up. But this year, on my first melon, bam!...I got a good one.

So on to the perks of the watermelon. Besides being completely tasty (if you can pick a decent one!) and super refreshing on a hot day, they have more health benefits than you probably know. They are super rich in lycopene, more so than tomatoes even, and that's their big claim to fame. Vitamin C, A, B6 are also in there. Tons of antioxidants. And you thought they were just yummy. So hurry out and get one. If you need help picking a watermelon out here are some tips.

And I bet you'd like some recipes too. Well, bad luck if you were planning on doing something special. They're made out of 90% water, so there's actually not alot to do with melons in the kitchen. You got lemonades, salsas, and margaritas, but other than that it's best left simple I guess. Simple is good too.

Strawberries

Everyone in my family loves strawberries. Who doesn't? They are the most popular fruit in the whole wide world. But this is a kidlet you haven't met yet. This is Pico. He loves strawberries. Really loves strawberries. He's a purist mostly when it comes to his love of fresh produce. Nothing fancy for him, but if you like fancy, check out some of these recipes.

Summery Strawberry Salad
Strawberry Mango Jicama Salad
Summertime Strawberry Pie
Summer Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Ok, apparently strawberries are summer salad staples. And summer pies. And summer jams. I guess I'm feeling summery today.

Now, on to why you should not feel guilty about eating the whole container in one sitting.
1. They're cheap right now.
2. They take a while to eat, so that'll keep your kidlets busy while you update your blog.
3. They're really healthy. Really really. Read on to hear what some experts say and click the link to hear even more if you really want to know.
In terms of traditional nutrients, strawberries emerged from our food ranking system as an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. They also qualified as a very good source of dietary fiber and iodine as well as a good source of potassium, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B6, vitamin K, magnesium, and copper.
They are also rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants that serve as cancer fighters, anti-inflammatory, and heart-protectors.
Though I'm sounding pretty well informed after plugging away at this health stuff for a few weeks, I can tell you that I don't have a clue what all those vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are all about. I just know they are good. But we want to sound like we know what we're talking about and actually care, so next week we'll start a little 'why should i care about...' series. Stay tuned. I'll figure out phytonutrients yet.

Sweet Tooth Sunday: Lemon Cream Pie

This was the easiest thing to make and I actually had everything on hand. That never happens! I am not known for a well stocked pantry, but what do you know?! I even had whipped cream and lemons. I have the goofiest little glass that says "Ladies, a good housewife always keeps plenty of lemons in the fridge". I have no idea what that is about, but it's kind of funny because I mostly keep condiments in my fridge...and pantry. In fact, this morning the cupboards were so very bare that we had to eat lemon cream pie for breakfast. I was going to make an early morning run to the convenience store out of desperation and they've only got pop tarts for breakfast. But then I figured pie is just as healthy as pop tarts and I'll just have to make it up somewhere else in the day.

But on to the recipe. Here's where I got it. I love it. It was easy and tart, but not too tart. Just perfect. There's alot of stirring involved in the custard making, but I love that. A word to the wise, and this should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway because I ignored myself: just put it in the fridge and forget about it for a while. I know it's hard to forget that you just worked on this pie and now you want to eat it so bad. But try because it's so good cold. Really really cold. It was better for breakfast today than it was for dessert last night.

Recipe Review: Crazy Good Fruit Salad.

First of all let's acknowledge that food photography has become an issue when you start looking for coordinating fabric to place said food on. My kids are starting to think it's normal for me to photograph their every meal. And now for the subject at hand...

If you've ever looked at the 'ingredient of the day' you might notice that I'll usually add some recipes at the bottom using those ingredients. Well, last week on the mango post I added a recipe that sounded tasty, the Mango Blackberry Salad with Honey Lemon Drizzle. And it sounded so good, and fairly easy, so I tried it. Mangoes and blackberries are cheap here right now, so what the heck. But man, oh man...this salad is so crazy good. It's nice and sweet without adding much honey at all. The lemon juice keeps the bananas from browning (for several days even). It makes a nice big batch. This is great for several reasons. Ready?
1. Super yum.
2. It's make-ahead. Who doesn't love that.
3. It's entirely guilt free. You even get bonus points for eating this. I eat it with a little nonfat greek yogurt on the side for breakfast. That is really saying something because I hate eating healthy. If it even acts like it tastes healthy, I'm out. There is zero sacrifice here.
4. This is even company worthy.
5. The kids like it. Sort of. They like the mangoes. Give them blackberries or bananas by themselves and they usually eat those too, but not when put next to honey drizzled mangoes.
In conclusion, this recipe rocks. Try it.

Oatmeal Doesn't Have to be Boring

...but it certainly has the potential to be. Last night we did another rotisserie pineapple, but this time I made sure there was enough to throw some into some oatmeal for a little experiment. I wanted to see if I could get my son to eat oatmeal without it being completely undone with tons of butter and sugar like it usually is. So I made some oatmeal and threw in some chunks of pineapple and a spoonful of the brown sugar lemon glaze. Ok, so yes I did add a little sugar, but nothing compared to what usually goes in there. Then I started feeling creative and I just started chunking things in there. Cinnamon and pecan bits went in. And then I mixed it all together so as to trick him. If I don't he'd just eat off the top and stop when he got to the oatmeal. Verdict: He LOVED it. Victory. It took about 4 minutes to make, was kinda fun digging around for additions, and was actually intended as a make-ahead. I have a good friend who will make huge batches of oatmeal and then put it in the fridge and eat off of it for the next several days. I always forget how good it is. It'll get sticky-ish and in the morning you just put a little milk in it and maybe a little sugar and you're good to go. Cold oatmeal is kind of refreshing on hot days.

Anyhoo, onto why you should start fooling around with oatmeal... It's shown to lower cholesterol, fight diabetes, lower blood pressure, control your weight, and reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. If that's not enough, go to this list and check out some more reasons as well as some great ideas for add-ins.

And now for the recipes...
Baked Oatmeal; make ahead recipe
Steel Cut Oats with Carmelized Onions & Ricotta, Intriguing but I don't think I can go there. To each his own, though.
Tres Leches Oatmeal - Oh, yeah! I'll be trying this one.
Peanut Butter Oatmeal with Dried Cranberries and Apples
Oatmeal Toffee Cookies; While I can't promise that these are healthy, I am not here to judge how you use the ingredient of the day
Crockpot Oatmeal; gotta love when you wake up and your breakfast is made for you.

Something A Little Different.

Today my post is a little different than what I normally do. I haven't been at it that long, so that's not saying much. I'd like to draw your attention to another blog, actually. Wendy Copley of Wendolonia shows you what's in her kids' lunchbox everyday. She really goes out of her way with these adorable bento boxes and the food she puts in there is healthy too. We've talked about kids' lunches a little and I think she's truly inspirational in getting creative with it. So check it out.