How did this happen?...Or a way to get out of work!!

So...this is what happened. I was on my way to work and stepped off the last step into the garage from the house. My sandal caught the door mat just right...or wrong...and I twisted my foot...in the shoe. There was a blinding flash of pain. I hobbled into the house, grabbed an ice pack, showed it to the husband and off to work I went. Well, by the time I got there, I had a hard time putting my foot down on the ground and there was a big lump on the side of my foot. I think at this time I should tell you that I changed shoes before I left for work.

Fortunately my company has a nurse practitioner on duty during the day, so I made it right down to her office where she proclaimed a torn ligament. She wrapped it up and gave me a script for an air splint. We have a friend who works in prosthetics and he was able to get me fixed up with that. So all this happening before noon, I felt like my day was shot!

Now it just so happens that our daughter ( who lives 2 hours away) is moving to a new home and we had planned to go to her house on Saturday to help her pack. That is where the "way to get out of work" part comes in!

We had a few laughs over that for sure. But since we were going to be there all day, I did what I do best. I baked. I made from scratch brownies using a recipe from Ellie Krieger. They are more cake like...a bit healthier...but the grandkids were not fans. Nothing like the boxed brownies, I guess.

I also made a Nectarine-Blueberry pie and that was a winner. This recipe had a hint of lemon in it. Really nice recipe that came out of Country Living magazine. I cheated a little and used a Pillsbury Ready Made Pie Crust, but the result was really luscious with all the fruit. So that fairly warm, fresh pie and some vanilla ice cream was the showstopper for our family and friends that day!

I am on the mend and hopefully this will heal fast so I can get back to my exercise!

Nectarine-Blueberry Pie

3 1/2 lbs nectarines (halved, pitted and sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices)

3/4 cup blueberries

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp supgar for sprinkling

3 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 egg

1 Tbsp milk (beated with the above egg for egg wash)

Heat oven to 450 degrees and adjust rack to lower-middle position.

Place the nectarines in a large bowl and toss with the blueberries, 1 cup sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside for 15 minutes, the drain.

Fit one piece of pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate, fill with the fruit and top with the second piece of pie dough. Seal and flute edges and brush top with some egg wash.

Slice a few decorative slits into the top crust abd bake 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 425 degrees and bake 25 minutes, then brush with more egg wash, sprinkle on 1 Tbsp sugar and continue to bake unto golden brown, about 5 more minutes.

Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Blueberry Banana Bread

I don't really remember where I found this other than it says Adapted from Joy of Cooking. I had some bananas that were on the way out and didn't want to throw them out. Plus there are scads of blueberries in my fridge. So I pulled this out and tried it. What I liked was that it was a lighter, less dense bread and bursting with fruit. It rose beautifully and the crumb topping is a nice addition. I brought some in for my baking buddy at work and she gave it a High 5. She makes a very good zucchini blueberry bread and proclaimed this as better. WOW! I have had her bread and it is super good too! With the height of berry picking going on in upstate NY now, this is a great recipe to use for a breakfast or snacking bread.

Blueberry Banana Bread

1 cup white flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

5 1/3 Tbsp butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3 mashed very ripe bananas (2 if they are big)

1 pint washed blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.

If you want to make the crumbly topping, mix together approximately 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar and enough butter to make it stick together.

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture until blended. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the bananas and blueberries. Pour into a loaf pan.

Top with crumbly topping if you want. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pan cool in a rack for about 10 minutes before taking bread out of the pan. (I left mine for about 20 minutes because it seemed very fragile. Cooling it longer before taking it out of the pan seemed to work better.)

Uses for Buttermilk

I have become a fan of using buttermilk in certain recipes. It adds a fluffiness to certain baked goods like biscuits, and is versatile as a marinade, for creamy homemade tomato soup and in smoothies. Now here is the good news! Low-fat Buttermilk is only 1% milkfat. It has natural bacteria which can aid in digestion and if you buy only a quart, you can use that in no time. This milk will keep about 2 weeks in the fridge. Here are a couple ideas for you to try.

Blueberry Muffins

(These gems have only 5 grams of fat each and are delicious. For a change, add some fresh raspberries. Also, they use cholesterol fighting oats!)

1 cup Old Fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (try whole wheat flour for extra goodness and flavor)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. low-fat buttermilk

3 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tsp. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with PAM. Place oats in blender and blend until finely ground. In large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. In small bowl, with a whisk, blend egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; stir into the flour mixture until flour is moistened. Fold in berries. Spoon batter into muffin-pan cups; sprinkle with sugar. (For some extra flair and sparkle, use coarse sanding sugar.) Bake 23-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean. Invert onto wire rack; serve warm or cool to serve later.

Grilled Chicken

(This chicken is so succulent and delicious! I think it would be great to use smaller pieces of marinated boneless breast and use this for a buffet dinner.)

Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves in a self-sealing plastic bag; add 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 garlic cloves, crushed with a press, 1/4 cup fresh dill, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. Preheat grill to medium. Place chicken on hot grill grate, cover and cook 10-12 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a knife, turning only once. Discard marinade.

Serve this with some sugar snap peas and creamy risotto. There you are...something for breakfast and something for dinner...both making use of some healthy buttermilk!

Blueberries pack a punch...or a popsicle!

Having my grandsons around for the week means that they are always looking for something sweet to eat. Let's face it, no matter how hard you try, they are going to sneak in some unhealthy snacks. Aidan is "addicted" to chocolate. He's 2 and he pronounces every syllable as Cho-co-lat...who knew he was practicing French!! But he is a good eater and likes everything. Carter, the 6 year old, on the other hand thinks Italian toast with butter is a food group. His protein to date has consisted of eggs, cheese and peanut butter...and protein shakes. We finally got him to try hot dogs over the weekend and he now likes those. Better than nothing. What they both agree on is berries and popsicles. Ellie Krieger has a recipe for a blueberry punch so I thought I would make it and freeze some as pops for the boys. What a hit! These are so much better than the sugar and water pop ice that they want. And these are fun because they helped me make them. Here is Ellie's recipe for the punch. It is refreshing just as it is or do what I did..... pour into a popsicle maker and dole out the fun a few hours later.
Blueberry Punch
Dissolve 2 Tbsp of honey in 1/4 cup boiling water.
Puree 1 cup thawed frozen blueberries and 1/2 cup cold water in a blender.
Pour the blueberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher.
Add up to 3-1/2 cups cold water and the dissolved honey to the pitcher and serve.

Summer Fruit Dessert

This is a true summer fruit dessert that has so many juicy flavors. The crushed amaretti cookies add a wonderful crunchy almond flavor. And the addition of the amaretto...the aroma of this in the oven is so.........so........mmmmmmm.
Making this for the family? Leave out the amaretto and use almond extract! And it is equally as good with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream!
This is another super Giada recipe.

By the way, hp on over to Cinnamon & Spice to visit her blueberry Blogger Secret Ingredient contest! http://cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2009/06/something-borrowed-something.html

I am off to Atlanta to visit my daughter and her family. Can't wait to hold my little granddaughter! I will take a few days off from blogging to enjoy their company. See you in a week!

Nectarine and Blueberry Crisp with Amaretti Cookie Topping
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis
Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup crushed amaretti cookies, coarsely crushed
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Filling:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 pounds nectarines, pitted and sliced into thick wedges
8 ounces blueberries
3 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese


To make the topping: Stir the flour and sugars in a medium bowl to blend. Add the cookies and almonds and mix well. Add the butter and rub in until moist clumps form.
To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Stir the sugar and flour in a large bowl. Add the nectarines and blueberries, and toss to combine. Stir in the liqueur.
Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the cookie topping over. Bake until the nectarines are tender and the topping is golden and crisp, about 45 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes. Spoon the warm crisp into bowls. Top each with a dollop of mascarpone cheese and serve.