Blueberry season has started here, so I'd like to share with you the Joys of Blueberrying.
1. locate an organic blueberry farm near you
2. pick a mild day or go early in the morning
3. don't bother feeding your kids before you go
4. pick zillions of berries
5. watch kids stuff berries into their mouths.
6. be happy that you don't have to wash the berries first as they don't have nasty sprays on them.
7. go home
8. put berries in bag (do NOT wash them first)
9. freeze bags
(time passes)
(snow falls)
10. open a bag of berries
11. notice with admiration and glee that they are still individual berries, not a frozen mushy clump (this is why you didn't wash the berries before bagging them).
12. put berries on breakfast cereal, in muffins, etc.
Did you know that blueberries are the fountain of youth? Yes indeed. In
August of 2006 CNN reported that
Wild blueberries rank Number One in antioxidants for fruit, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with a score of more than 13,000 for total antioxidant capacity per. Cultivated blueberries are the second highest, with about 9,000 (for comparison, Gala apples score around 3,900).
There's no official recommendation for daily antioxidant consumption, but they are known to be important for fighting off free radicals in our body and from the environment. Free radicals cause damage to cells, disrupting the DNA and potentially setting up the body for disease. And the cell damage may be at the root of a host of health issues, from aging to macular degeneration to cancer to Alzheimer's disease. But antioxidants scavenge those free radicals in the body, neutralizing their effects. According to the National Cancer Institute, considerable research suggests that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent cancer. They also fight inflammation, now known as one of the main causes of diseases like arthritis and cancer.
They are just plain good. Good tasting and good for you, whether applied internally or externally.
In your blender or food processor, combine about
- 1/4 cup fresh blueberries,
Whirl until it is smooth. Let rest a bit so the oatmeal and cornstarch can absorb the excess liquid.
Apply to your face.
Sneak up on your kids and say boo! (optional).
After about 20-30 minutes, rinse off with warm water.
If you have very fair skin, you should do a test patch, as blueberries make a great dye. My skin is olive colored and I'm tan, so it works fine for me.
:: this post was originally posted in August of 2007
They bring their clothes down and change behind the divider whilst I make bread, dinner, type blog posts etc. At least I can get something done during the dance routines.
This is a must read. Current technology allows for a device that wipes out electrical systems: phones, cars, radios, freezers, thermostats, security systems, everything. In this alarming story, unknown enemies use this weapon on us and we are thrown back to a pre-electric life-style, without the skills that made it liveable.
Really enjoyed this narrative of Achilles life told
from the perspective of his companion Patroclus. I didn't know that
Achilles and Patroclus were thought to be lovers, so that was a bit of a
surprise.
This is a fun good-vs-evil series with lots of connections to old tales. Wholesome and enjoyable middle grade reading.