Sorbetsicles

When I received my ice cream maker as a gift, nobody took it seriously. They thought I'd use it a few times and then it would grow a warren of dust bunnies in my kitchen cabinet. I've been on quite the ice cream/sorbet making kick this summer. Maybe I'm wrong, but didn't Atlanta feel unseasonably hot in May and June? Its still so hot. Nothing is better than cooling off with sorbet- its so rejuvenating!

What have I been making? There have been so many deals on strawberries, I feel like I will be strawberried out by the end of the summer. I started with raspberry sorbet that I was supposed to take to my BFF's BBQ... but then forgot it... and ate it. I've made two batches of strawberry sorbet, and one strawberry ice cream (which got rave reviews from the wedding shower I brought it to). I took chocolate ice cream to a housewarming as a present for the host. With a pint of strawberries remaining in my fridge post shower ice creamage, I thought I would attempt something different. I made soft sorbet with a shot of coconut rum (for an added "tropical feel") and froze it in popsicle molds. They are quite tasty. I think next time I will add a dash of something tropical and fruity that has a stronger flavor- the coconut taste seemed so much stronger pre-freeze. My next frozen project (we currently have no freezer space) will be that lemon-basil sorbet I've been dreaming of since our honeymoon and margarita popsicles. :)

If you aren't feeling adventurous in your kitchen, check out Edy's or Trader Joe's frozen fruit pops. They are incredibly good, no work required.

Super Blue

After getting up at the crack of dawn (5 am) for work during the week, I relish in my bed. I love to sleep in on weekend days. I don't sleep the day away; I just sleep in enough to feel caught up and yet still able to get some things done. A great sleep deserves a great breakfast. The latest addition to the breakfast menu is blueberries.

When I was a kid, I turned up my nose to blueberries. They weren't wildly sweet. I didn't even like them when they were fresh picked from the bushes of my back yard in Massachusetts. Despite my childhood feelings, I had the urge to pick up a package at the store a few months ago, and fell in love. I'm glad my tastes have changed, since blueberries are grrrrrrreat for you.

Blueberries are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and vitamin E. They are great with cereal, in yogurt, on waffles, or by themselves. I've been eating them on waffles lately. My favorite waffle mix is Bob's Red Mill. They are fluffy and stretchy. Pamela's are a little more reminiscent of Bisquick. The Trader Joe's waffles come out crispy in on the outside, light, and stretchy on the inside. The only problem with them is they want you to make the whole box at once. It takes some math to divide it down to a few batches.

Here are the nutritional facts, via www.blueberry.org. Very convincing.

USDA National Nutrient Database For Standard Reference, Release 19 (2006)

		Blueberry (fresh)	Blueberry (frozen, unsweetened)
		1 c (148 g)	1 c (155 g)
Energy	kcal	84	79
Protein	g	1.10	0.65
Fat	g	0.49	0.99
Carbohydrate	g	21.45	18.86
Fiber	g	3.6	4.2
Calcium	mg	9	12
Iron	mg	0.41	0.28
Magnesium	mg	9	8
Phosphorus	mg	18	17
Potassium	mg	114	84
Sodium	mg	1	2
Zinc	mg	0.24	0.11
Copper	mg	0.084	0.051
Manganese	mg	0.497	0.228
Selenium	mcg	0.1	0.2
Vitamin C	mg	14.4	3.9
Thiamin	mg	0.055	0.05
Riboflavin	mg	0.061	0.057
Niacin	mg	0.619	0.806
Panthothenic acid	mg	0.184	0.194
Vitamin B6	mg	0.077	0.091
Folate	mcg	9	11
Vitamin B12	mcg	0	0
Vitamin A	IU	80	71
Vitamin E	mg	0.84	0.74
Vitamin K	mcg	28.6	25.4

Top

g=grams mg=milligrams kcal=kilocalories IU=International Units ug=micrograms ATE=alpha tocopherol equivalent

New Year!

The holidays came around so quickly. All of a sudden, my sister (Tiffany) arrived from the DR, Nick's family was here, and I was fighting for glimpses of sleep in between reconnecting with friends and family. Time went by in a glimpse. All too soon Tiffany was back on a plane home, Nick's family returned home, and New Years crept up.

I usually find New Year's uninspiring. This was the first New Year's Day I had off, and I was ridiculously sick. Maybe getting over my sinus infection made the arrival of 2009 seem like the changing of the leaves; for the first time I feel like something new has started.

Here are a few of my New Goals for a New Year:
* Dance more often
* Be able to run 3 consecutive miles (aka do the Mazz Family run)
* Get rid of all the furniture in the storage room (need any?)
* Finish my WOCN certification
* Get a job at Shepherd as a full-time WOCN
* Take better care of myself


In interest of a newer, healthier year, here is a recipe for a low-fat dinner.


Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Mustard Rub

INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 cup grainy mustard
* 1/2 cup apricot jam
* 1 garlic clove, forced through a garlic press
* 2 small pork tenderloins (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 pound fresh apricots, quartered and pitted

PREPARATION

Preheat broiler and line rack of a broiler pan with foil.

Whisk together mustard and jam in a small bowl. Whisk together 1/3 cup mustard mixture with garlic in a large bowl.

Pat pork dry, then sprinkle all over with teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Coat pork with 2 tablespoons mustard-garlic mixture, then arrange without crowding on broiler pan.

Toss apricots and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper with remaining mustard-garlic mixture. Arrange apricots in 1 layer around pork (including space between tenderloins) and broil 5 to 6 inches from heat, turning pork over once, until thermometer inserted diagonally into center of each tenderloin registers 145°F and apricots are softened, about 15 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board (leave apricots on pan) and let stand 5 minutes.

Cut pork crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and transfer to a platter. Spoon apricots over pork and serve remaining mustard-jam mixture on the side (sweeten with additional jam if desired).