FOODIE FRIDAY -- S is also for STRAWBERRIES

I LOVE STRAWBERRIES! We are so lucky here in California---locally grown strawberries are readily available at markets and farm stands from about mid April (sometimes earlier) all the way through the summer.

In addition to being delicious, strawberries are amazingly nutritious. They have higher levels of vitamin C, fiber, folate and potassium than most other fruits, including oranges. Just one cup of strawberries has 160% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C!! A recent study indicated that eating one serving (about 8-10 strawberries) a day can significantly decrease blood pressure, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Eating strawberries has also been known to reduce the risk of cancer and rheumatoid arthritis and can even improve memory function.

So, whether you eat 'em plain, add them to your cereal or a smoothie, bake with them, put them in a salad---STRAWBERRIES are a super food!!!

Strawberries also make an appearance on vintage kitchen goods--like these McCoy salt and pepper shakers from VioletQVintage.etsy.com

FOODIE FRIDAY--G is Also For GARLIC

I LOVE garlic. We consume at least a head every week. Seems nearly every recipe calls for garlic, and why add 1 clove when 3 or 4 will further enhance the flavor? We also enjoy it in a dipping sauce for bread---chopped and mixed with balsamic vinegar and good quality extra virgin olive oil. So much better for you than butter and well, YUM-MO!

DEFINITION--From whatscookingamerica.net: garlic - The pungent, segmented bulb of the perennial plant Allium sativum, a member of the Lily family, closely related to the onion. Among the oldest known cultivated plants and most universally popular cooking herbs, garlic appears extensively, both raw and cooked in the cuisines of southern Europe and is considered essential to many dishes in Italy. The peeled cloves can be preserved for short periods in jars of oil.

Garlic is good for you!!! Check out the HEALTH BENEFITS--http://www.garlic-central.com/garlic-health.html

And, if the taste, aroma and health benefits aren't enough to make you a garlic fan, don't forget that it can ward off vampires! :~)