Since Spring has officially arrived, I am already looking forward to warmer weather and Summer! Smoothies are a favorite at our house in the Summer. They are something we, along with our children and grandchildren, all enjoy.
One of the fun things about smoothies is the many fun ways you can garnish them. There are the usual little umbrellas, plastic animals, and fancy straws. Flavored salt is another pretty common garnish. You can use your food processor or a mortar and pestle to grind coarse salt. Moisten the rim of the glass with lemon, lime, or orange juice, or even water, and dip it in the flavored salt. This works with flavored or colored sugar as well. Or try powdered drink mixes or finely chopped coconut for something different.
The idea behind garnishes is to complement or contrast flavors to hint at what’s in the recipe or bring out the flavor. If you use ice as part of your garnish you can freeze colored juices or sodas in cubes which will not dilute your drink. Or freeze berries or slices of fruit in ice cubes. You can also purchase spherical ice cube molds which look unique and attractive in the glass.
Other popular garnishes for fruity drinks are maraschino cherries, pineapple wedges, fruit kabobs, shaved coconut, and candied strips or wheels of zest. It is fun to experiment using a few different citrus zests and twisting or tieing them together.
If you are serving a vegetable smoothie, you can use a mandolin or vegetable peeler to make long, thin strips of cucumber, carrot, or radish to garnish with. Fresh herb leaves or sprigs also add a nice touch. Or try threading sprigs of hardy herbs (rosemary or thyme) through cranberries, blueberries, and raspberries. My favorite vegetable smoothie uses fresh spinach, frozen bananas, avocado, protein powder, and almond milk. I like to garnish it with fresh fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Sometimes in place of smoothies my granddaughter likes a “mocktail” which we often like to make layered. To accomplish this you need to use ingredients with contrasting colors and different weights. For a Layered Shirley Temple, mix together 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage. Pour the mixture into a tall glass then pour 1 Tablespoon grenadine in and let it sink to the bottom. Maraschino cherries make a nice garnish for this drink. Another layered drink that looks pretty is the Italian Cream Soda. To make this one, mix the fruit flavored syrups you are using with the soda water and pour into a glass. Float half-and-half on top for the layered look and top with whipped cream.
Homemade lollipops are a fun activity to do with children and the lollipops can serve as a stirrer in their smoothies and a snack.
Happy Summer! I hope it will be a long one after the extended Winter we have had!
There is something special about coming home after a long day of work and smelling something delicious in the slow cooker. Without a lot of effort, supper will be ready in only a few minutes. I blogged about using a slow cooker a couple of years ago. It is surprising how many people have discovered that blog post and asked questions. I have done a bit of research recently and thought that I could share just a bit more information about cooking with a slow cooker.
If your love for “pumpkin spice” and all things pumpkin nice is beginning to wane or you were never a fan to begin, perhaps it is time to pigeon-hole those sweets and lattes and look at different ways to use the vitamin rich pumpkin (or squash). The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with beta-carotene, a plant carotenoid which converts to Vitamin A in the body. Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene reduces the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and some degenerative diseases. Besides beta-carotene, pumpkin is also packed with Vitamins C and K, fiber, and other important nutrients while being low in calories.
Grate butter into the flour mixture and blend into flour with your fingers. Be sure that your butter is very cold!
Grating the butter makes it blend into the four much easier than cutting it into small pieces.
Mix wet ingredients together in another bowl. This includes milk, sour cream, egg and vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients and the frozen berries (I used frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries). Don’t let the berries thaw or they will color the dough and you will not have any whole fruit pieces in your baked scone.
Mix until just combined. Do not overmix or the scone will be tough.
Shape into a square on a floured cutting board. I then cut it into 16 pieces (four squares with four triangle shapes). If you wanted larger scones you could cut them into 8 instead of 16.
After putting the pieces in the pan I sprinkle with a course sugar before baking.
Bake at 400° F. for about 18 minutes until the scones are just starting to turn light brown. I cook mine in my convection oven at 375° F. for approximately 15 minutes.
If using a pan, allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan and place on a cooking rack.
Callers have been asking for recipes to make their own canned pie filling a lot lately. It can be frustrating for a home canner to hear that the only recommended starch in pie filling recipes is Clear Jel. This product is not typically available in a local grocery store. The best option for purchasing Clear Jel is the internet. The
Blueberries are believed to be the KING of the blues as they contain the highest antioxidant capacity of all commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. They are also among the most nutrient dense berries. One cup of blueberries has only 84 calories with no fat; of the 15 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams are dietary fiber. That one cup of berries also provides 24 percent of your daily-recommended (RDA) serving of Vitamin A, 36% of Vitamin K, and 25% of manganese. Study after study has shown that blueberries are incredibly good for our health.
The rounds should be rather thin. Place your round(s) on a floured or parchment lined rimless cookie sheet and let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then poke around on the dough with a fork. (This will keep the round from puffing.) 
If you are preparing for a party or larger number of guests, you can make the individual rounds ahead, stack them separated between parchment paper, and keep in the refrigerator for up to two hours before grilling.
After two minutes, open the grill and check the bottom side of the round to see if it is getting brown. If nothing is happening, use a tongs to move or rotate the round. Grill for an additional minute if needed. By this time, the top of the pizza should be bubbling, too.
Once the round has browned or slightly charred on the bottom, remove the round and flip it over. Close the grill to retain the heat. Brush the grilled surface with a little olive oil and then spread on a little sauce. Less is better with grilled pizza. A thin spread of a thicker sauce is better than a thinner sauce so you don’t end up with a soggy pizza. Sprinkle on the toppings, cheese, and then meat (meat should be fully cooked). Again, keep it light as grilled pizza is not panned pizza.
Slide the topped pizza back onto the grill, close the lid and grill for 2-3 minutes more or until the bottom begins to brown or char slightly and the cheese is melted. Remove the pizza from the grill and finish with a light sprinkle of sea salt, if desired.
