My glass is half-full of Cherry-Almond Sorbet

Ok, so I’ve been on a sorbet kick lately! Nobody’s here to judge… And I don’t think it’ll stop anytime soon! I think next up will be Mango with macerated berries (thank you Haley at Appoggiatura for that wonderful idea)! But for now, we have to settle for Cherry-Almond sorbet. I know, it’s a hardship to bear – and I’ll gladly take it for the team 😉 ! This sorbet came out so super creamy and delicious! I think I’ll have to call this my favorite of the sorbets I’ve made thus far. After my first helping, I went back for round 2 and made a double scoop in combo with the Pineapple sorbet, which I enjoyed out on the back deck…oooh, doggy! Good times…good times…

Ingredients:

1 C sugar
3/4 C (6 oz) water
1 TBSP Amaretto (*optional)
1 tsp almond extract
juice from 1/2 of a lime
3 C fresh pitted bing cherries

Directions:

1. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from heat, and stir in the Amaretto. Transfer the syrup to a bowl; place in fridge to chill.
2. Place the cherries, almond extract, and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or blender; process until liquified, about 2 minutes. Add puree to the chilled syrup; stir to combine.
3. Freeze the sorbet in an ice-cream maker (this took about 15 minutes to freeze to creamy perfection), store in a plastic container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

Round 1:

Round 2:

Let’s not forget how good cherries and pineapples are for you…so eat up and be happy & healthy!

Happy Freezing!

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Pineapple-Cherry Pick-Me-Up

I needed a little pick-me-up Tuesday after a celebratory dinner Monday night. I was wanting to use the cherries from the Farmers Market for some baked goodies, but I decided to add to the list of juices instead. Plus, I also figured after the cake and cookies I made this weekend..more baked goods were perhaps the last thing I needed. So I investigated in my Big Book of Juices and Smoothies and found something that would give me some energy, enhance my immunity, and just the slightest bit of detox 😉 Naturally, I made a wonderful addition using frozen blackberries…so here is a pineapple-cherry pick-me(and you, too)-up!

Ingredients:

1-2 large handfuls of cherries, pitted
1/2 fresh chopped pineapple
1/4 C frozen blackberries

Directions:

Blend all in a blender, if you’re like me and don’t have a juicer.

The frozen berries give it a thicker, smoothie appeal. Plus they make it a cold beverage since I hadn’t previously chilled my pineapple.

These fruits are good for energy, immunity, the skin, some digestion, and a little bit of detox. The nutrients contained in this blend include: beta-carotene, folic acid, vit C, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulphur.

Blackberries are rich in antioxidants, particularly vit C. And pineapples contain an alkaline substance known as bromelain, which aids digestion and is linked to reducing inflammation in arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.

Happy Juicing!

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Ooh, Cherry baby…

The cherry recipes have been quite popular (Cherry No-Pie Juice, Cherry-Almond Scones) so just for kicks, let’s have a little cherry health education, shall we?

Cherries are chock-full of antioxidants, helping us fight those nasty bastards: free radicals. The flavonoids, anthocyanins, which give cherries their red pigment possess anti-inflammatory, anti-aging and anti-carcinogenic properties. Of the 150 different flavonoids found in plants, anthocyanins appear to have the greatest antioxidant capacity. Cherries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins, containing more than sweet cherries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. There is also research supporting the belief that cherry juice helps relieve arthritis symptoms.

For you world travelers out there, cherries are one of the few known food sources of melatonin, a potent antioxidant produced naturally by the body’s pineal gland that helps regulate biorhythm and natural sleep patterns. “Scientists have found melatonin-rich tart cherries (commonly enjoyed as dried, frozen, juice or concentrate) contain more of this powerful antioxidant than what is normally produced by the body. Eating cherries can be a natural way to boost your body’s melatonin levels to hasten sleep and ease jet lag.” According to Russel J. Reiter, PhD (University of Texas Health and Science Center), one of the world’s leading authorities on melatonin, “try eating dried cherries one hour before desired sleep time on the plane. After arrival, consume cherries one hour before desired sleep each night for at least three consecutive evenings.” And since I’m about to board a plane today, I’ll be sure to pack my cherries – even though I’m crossing a time-change of only 2 hours.. 😉

And lastly, but certainly not least, cherries (the anthocyanins) have been shown to lower blood lipids, thus reducing heart disease risk. The latest research presented by University of Michigan researchers shows tart cherries may help reduce inflammation, a key risk factor for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Yummy ways to get your cherries are by Cherry-Almond scones or drinking it in a delicious juice form! Other good recipes would include yummies like Cherry Pie, Cherry-Cranberry Crumble, Cherry-Coconut vegan Ice Cream, Cherry Breakfast muffins…among others. And hopefully I can get another batch of cherries as good as before and do some experimental runs on these recipes for you!!

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