Recipes if you're trying to reduce prepackaged foods

[velcromom]

Pretty much everything not certified organic is messed with.(eta, ok I take that back, there are some farmers practicing organic methods who don't get certified for various reasons, but sell unadulterated healthy food) so much of what grocery stores carry is sprayed, dipped, colored, fumigated, irradiated... makes me mad too! don't even get me started on genetic modification... and who can afford to eat 100% organic?? I found a friend with a cow, started a garden, and searched out a bunch of farmers markets... interesting the things you can find there... got mushrooms (organic, even!) and raw almonds last time, of all things!

[radmamma]

We've got cherries & blueberries growing right now!

I'd love to see if any mamas have recipes using these berries!

I need to post some more recipes, too

[dublinmom]

Originally Posted by radmamma We've got cherries & blueberries growing right now! I'd love to see if any mamas have recipes using these berries! I need to post some more recipes, too

Blueberry Buckle

Makes 9 Servings
Batter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Butter
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Butter
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease 9-inch square pan with Butter.
For batter, combine granulated sugar and 1/2 cup Butter in
large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add
egg.
Beat until well blended.
Combine 3/4 cup milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Combine 2 cups flour, baking
powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with liquid
using low speed of electric mixer. Fold in blueberries. Spread in pan.
For topping, combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut
in 1/4 cup Butter Flavor Crisco with pastry blender (or 2 knives) until
flour
is blended to form coarse crumbs. Combine 2 teaspoons milk and 1 teaspoon
vanilla. Drizzle over flour mixture, tossing with fork. Crumble over batter.
Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Serve warm or at room temperature

[radmamma]

That blueberry buckle is exactly what I need right now!!

[Hudsonsk]

subbing

[ashtonsmom]

great thread! we have 50 blueberry bushes, 10 raspberry bushes and tons of garden room. i am really trying to get away from prepackaged stuff and even eating more raw. but its very straining on my budget! so slowly it goes! i cannot wait until summer for the garden again! i've already started mapping it out!! i have so many frozen blueberries!! LOL so i have been making alot of smoothies with them. i'll be watching this thread!

[kezoo]

Originally Posted by velcromom I've done vodka extracts too, but find I get more flavor out of simply freezing the zest & using it directly in my recipes. Whenever I serve orange slices (nearly every day) I just cut off the white part as if I were filleting a little fish and I put all the zest slices in the freezer in one container. I add four or five slices to the liquid portion of my recipe and puree it in my Magic Bullet (little blender). You only want to use organic fruit for this though, otherwise you are getting pesticides and orange dye #6 in your food.

FYI, there is no such thing as Orange Dye #6. Here are the current allowable (by the FDA) food colorings:

FD&C Blue No. 1 – Brilliant Blue FCF, E133 (Blue shade)
FD&C Blue No. 2 – Indigotine, E132 (Dark Blue shade)
FD&C Green No. 3 – Fast Green FCF, E143 (Bluish green shade)
FD&C Red No. 40 – Allura Red AC, E129 (Red shade)
FD&C Red No. 3 – Erythrosine, E127 (Pink shade) [4]
FD&C Yellow No. 5 – Tartrazine, E102 (Yellow shade)
FD&C Yellow No. 6 – Sunset Yellow FCF, E110 (Orange shade)

You probably meant Yellow #6, however, I can't find any documentation about it being used on Oranges (although it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest). Two delisted (not allowed) colorings WERE used on Florida Oranges: FD&C Red No. 32‎ & FD&C Orange No. 2‎.

[Koolio11]

Originally Posted by ashtonsmom great thread! we have 50 blueberry bushes, 10 raspberry bushes and tons of garden room. i am really trying to get away from prepackaged stuff and even eating more raw. but its very straining on my budget! so slowly it goes! i cannot wait until summer for the garden again! i've already started mapping it out!! i have so many frozen blueberries!! LOL so i have been making alot of smoothies with them. i'll be watching this thread!

I got a gift card for a nursery for Christmas, to buy some bkueberry and raspberry bushes. I know that the nursery will explain lots nut, I'm just curious how much space all your berry bushes take up? About how many cups of berries does 1 bush produce? Anything else you cab share? I'm so excited too!

[radmamma]

It depends on how old the bush is. Once it's established one bush can produce a few gallons of berries (at least here in Georgia).

I'm glad this thread is getting resurrected!

I NEED to post some more recipes!

Anyone have any favorites?
Does anyone make their own 'instant' oatmeal?

[tesslouise]

homemade cream of mushroom soup: http://tesslouise.livejournal.com/195847.html

cooking dried beans in the slow cooker and freezing them: http://tesslouise.livejournal.com/174493.html

corn bread as easy as Jiffy mix (really): http://tesslouise.livejournal.com/155437.html