grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Papaya-Cilantro Smoothie

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In Texas, we love our cilantro. In everything.

This smoothie is lactose-free, gluten-free and vitamin-loaded! The hint of cilantro provides a refreshing clean taste.

Papaya-Cilantro Smoothie

1 cup frozen cubed papaya
1/2 cup frozen banana
1/2 cubed watermelon (I used fresh)
1/2 cup fat free Lactaid milk (more if too thick)
handful of cilantro (approximately 2 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon zip code honey

Blend.

That’s it!

Health benefits of cilantro (known as coriander in Asia):

  • Rich in antioxidant polyphenolic flavonoids and essential volatile oils;
  • High in dietary fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels;
  • Rich in several vital vitamins including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, beta carotene, vitamins A, K and C; and,
  • Good source of minerals such as potassium, calcium, manganese, iron and magnesium.
Zip code honey:
Local honey from your zip code will aid in seasonal allergy relief. Honey is a natural immunity builder used to remedy ailments such as cuts and burns, hangovers, sore throats, and sleeplessness. 
I buy local North Texas honey from Bee True Products. Search the Local Harvest website for sustainably grown produce in your area, including honey.
Delicious. The honey and the smoothie.
talya

Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

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Rosemary Infused Olive Oil
We have so much rosemary growing in our garden, I am forever trying to work it into cooking, cleaning and decorating.
This rosemary infused olive oil is very flavorful, can be used in a variety of recipes and makes a great gift.
Ingredients
1 cup olive oil
5-6 sprigs rosemary
rosemary infused olive oil - great gift idea
Heat olive oil and rosemary on the stovetop on medium heat for five minutes. Return to room temperature.
Place a few of the rosemary twigs inside a decorative container and fill with olive oil. This will store in the refrigerator for a month.
Rosemary Snacks…

Popcorn: For an unusual twist on an old standby, drizzle a tablespoon of rosemary infused olive oil over air-popped popcorn. Sprinkle with finely chopped rosemary and sea salt. Yum!

Almonds: Spread 2-3 cups raw almonds on a cookie sheet. Drizzle rosemary infused olive oil over and mix to lightly coat. Sprinkle with sea salt, cayenne, chopped rosemary to taste. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Delicious!

Enjoy!

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Lemon Thyme Blackberry Cobbler

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lemon blueberry cobbler

 

I am excited to be a new regular contributor to Inspiration Café! Each month I will be sharing information about gardening, specifically herbs, recipes and gardening projects. My personal blog, Grace Grits and Gardening, includes stories of family, food, garden, life, and tales of growing up on a farm in Northeast Arkansas. A bit of personal info…my husband and I live in Dallas, but recently purchased a small home in Fayetteville, Arkansas where we hope to retire…someday… We are empty nesters with two amazing children (Longhorn daughter, Razorback son), but our miniature schnauzers, Lucy and Annabelle, run the household.

Annabelle and Lucy
I’m a big believer in herbs. They are packed with antioxidants and full of health benefits. Plus, herbs are the only crop I can successfully grow in my postage-stamp-sized yard under the blazing Dallas summer sun. And, as the daughter of a cotton farmer, I must grow something…

Lemon Thyme Blackberry Cobbler 

An entire bag of lemons stared at me each time I walked through the kitchen. (My husband tends to overbuy when he does the grocery shopping.) With lemons to somehow use up and enough thyme for a restaurant, I decided to add both to my simple blackberry cobbler recipe. If the combo lemon/thyme/blackberry turned out to be disgusting, only the schnauzers would know… 

 

It smelled heavenly. It looked heavenly. I took a teeny tiny sinful bite to make sure it was edible. Very delicious! Both the lemon and thyme added a little something-something to the recipe. I immediately packed up half of it for a few neighbors, yet left a bit for John’s dessert. I managed to successfully ignore it the remainder of the afternoon.
Like everything I cook, it’s super easy. If the recipe is difficult, I move on to something else. 
Ingredients:
1 cup milk 
1 stick unsalted butter
1 & 1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup self-rising flour
2 cups of blackberries (frozen or fresh)
Zest of 2 large lemons
Fresh Thyme – 2 teaspoons chopped
butter+lemon zest
Method:

1. Melt butter in the microwave. Mix the zest of 2 lemons into the butter. Use a tiny bit of this mixture to butter your baking dish.
2. Rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of the flour and the thyme together and sprinkle this over the blackberries. Gently Mix.
3. Pour 1 cup of sugar and remaining flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour melted butter/lemon zest in and whisk it all together.
see the thyme sprinkled on top?

4. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly.

5. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the top.
6. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until golden and bubbly. About 10 minutes before it is done, you can sprinkle a bit more sugar and thyme over the top if you would like. The sugar will give it a bit of a crust & sparkle on top. And, you probably will have a lot of leftover thyme, so you may as well use a bit more. 
A shout-out for thyme...  In medieval times it was regarded as the plant that provided courage and vigor. The ancient Romans used it as a treatment for depression. It contains antioxidants and essential oils thought to alleviate stress, provide a calming effect and relieve aches and pains in the joints.  One teaspoon crushed, added to boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes and then strained, makes a great tea, which will help with sore throats, coughs and mouth irritations. You can add a bit of honey to sweeten.
A big thank you Inspiration Café for allowing me to become a regular contributor! I hope you will stop by and check out my blog at Grace Grits and Gardening. I love comments and followers. 


 

 

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!