Recipes
Use these recipes as guidelines. Try them out,
then make them your own. Use the provided tips + variations to fit your preferences or pack in the nutrition. Tweak them to suit your lifestyle or swap out ingredients to make them allergy-friendly. I’ve taken out the nutrient guesswork by adding whole food ingredients with extra vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants & omega-3s.
Check out more free recipes or order The DIY Kitchen Cookbook on Amazon. This Kindle book contains 62 recipes to craft your own make-ahead mixes, seasoning blends, snacks, breakfasts, condiments, dressing & drinks. The included do-it-yourself, copycat recipes are healthier, cleaner versions of what you'd normally buy.
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Put These in Your Pantry: Cranberries
November 14, 2012 by Melanie Zook
Nothing says “Thanksgiving” quite like cranberries. But they’re also an easy, tasty complement to oatmeal, rice and grain side dishes, meat entrées, casseroles, salads, yogurt, cottage cheese, sandwich wraps, home baked cookies, muffins, granola bars, breads & make-ahead breakfasts, so you can enjoy them throughout the year. You can also feel good about their nutrition.
Dried cranberries are a good source of fiber, and fit within the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate recommendations to help you increase your daily fruit intake—a half-cup of dried cranberries is equal to one serving of fruit, while one cup of fresh, chopped cranberries has over five grams of fiber, and is a good source of potassium & vitamin C. Why are dried cranberries sweetened? Unlike other berries, cranberries are naturally low in sugar and high in acidity so they require sweetening to be palatable—but the amount of sugar in dried cranberries is equal to that of other dried fruits. They’re a convenient, high-energy grab-and-go snack on their own, or toss together a high-fiber, antioxidant-rich trail mix with dried cranberries, toasted oat cereal, almonds & mini dark chocolate chips. For kids, you’ve heard of “ants on a log”. How about trying “red ants on a log”?
Flavonoids, such as those found in cranberries, give fruits and vegetables most of their antioxidant properties and a flavonoid-rich diet may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cranberries naturally contain the flavonoid proanthocyanidin (PAC) and other polyphenols that have potential health benefits, including inhibiting the bacteria associated with UTIs, gum disease & stomach ulcers. Who knew fighting bacteria could be so yummy?
My “green” side likes that cranberries are grown more locally than many fruits—they’re one of the three widely farmed, commercially cultivated fruits native to North America. So add fresh & dried cranberries to your colorful diet, all year round!
