This week is a Twofer.  First up, a fruit spread to go along with the healthy bread recipes from the last two previous weeks. Most jams and jellies are loaded with additional (processed) sugar besides the natural occurring sugars in the fruits themselves. So, how about making your own with less added sugar and an additional ingredient to not only thicken the jam but that is high in good nutrients?  Secondly, we had a delicious dinner at home last night and when I totaled up the cost per person, I thought, “Good lesson in benefits of dinner at home.” Here we go!

Healthy Fruit Spread

This fruit spread is high in fiber (from the berries & chia seeds).  Chia seeds are good for heart health, and the digestion system.  They are rich in omega -3 and fatty acids.  Raspberries, chia seeds and honey are sources of antioxidants and honey has antibacterial properties.  All three ingredients help stabilize blood sugar. Consider this fruit spread to serve atop your favorite bread, to use when making PB and jelly sandwiches and to serve over goat cheese or cream cheese as an appetizer with crackers. 

black and gray pebbles
Photo by Joanna Kosinska / UnsplashChia seeds. In addition to the benefits of chia seeds they act as a thickener for the fruit spread. Using frozen berries, as they thaw, will have more liquid which will give the chia seeds more volume to swell, as tapioca does.

Ingredients

-1 cup frozen berries (raspberries are high in fiber but blueberries are also a good     choice, as they are high in anti-oxidants).

-2 Tablespoons chia seeds

-1 1/2- 2 teaspoons honey or agave

honey jar with honey comb
Photo by Arwin Neil Baichoo / Unsplash Honey has so many health benefits. Agave is another natural sweetener that is great to use, rather than processed and refined sugar.

Method

  1. Warm frozen berries in the microwave for about 20 seconds.  I like to place the berries in a cleaned out glass jar.  
  2. With a fork mash berries (you made need them to sit for a few additional minutes to soften-do not over heat in the microwave.  
  3. Add Chia seeds and stir. Add sweetener (honey or agave) stir. 
  4. Store jam in the fridge.  
Dinner at home last night.

The Value of Dinner at Home

     Last night just seemed like a good night for a good dinner at home.  We made a trip to Trader Joe’s picked up 2 filets of beef for $22, 2 ears of corn $1.00, a bunch of asparagus for $5 that would do for 2 dinners and a bottle of red wine that came highly recommended as a good buy for the money at $7.99 and we only drank a little more that half of the bottle.  So, let’s total it up:

$22 Filets

    1 Corn on the Cob

    2.50 Asparagus (half of the package)

    5.00 We didn’t drink the entire bottle of the $7.99 wine.

_______

$30.50 total, $15. 25 per person dinner and wine.


Here’s the take-away.  We hand a nice quiet dinner at home, cooked to our liking.  We know the kitchen is clean, the ingredients are of good quality, washed adequately (as well as our hands).  We listened to the music we preferred and we lingered long after dinner having a nice conversation.  Yes, it required a little effort on our part, however, we didn’t have to spend time driving and the table was set exactly as we wanted it.  A dinner out like this at a nice place would most likely cost $40-$60 per person, not including wine.  If you live in a large city, possibly more.  Add the tip and you are looking at an evening that will cost you well over $100 and you may be paying for parking/tipping the attendant. Oh, and gas to get there.  

    Meals out can be a treat but I think sometimes we totally underestimate the value of eating in. Stop and break it down more often and consider the benefits of eating in.  I go into this more detail in my book, It’s a Great Day To…Gather Around a Table, but make your table look pretty and have fun with this. Think of eating in more of a treat, more often.  It could be a nice way to end…

A Great Day 🍽️ 

Author, Mary Yana Burau. Book available here on the website on My Book Page.