Fresh Fruit: Good for your Tongue AND your Heart

Truly, is there anything better than fresh fruit, in season? Now that our peach and nectarine season is past (one of my favorite parts of summer), we're into pear season. And oh, are they delectable! 

They're such gorgeous, curvy fruit, especially when they're just beginning to develop a blush. I just couldn't resist doing a photo shoot. :)

Almost too pretty to eat... Almost.

Oh, and then there are the fresh grapes, cantaloupe, other melons, etc. Yum!

If taste and beauty aren't enough, the health benefits of eating fruit should be! A new study from the UK states that when it comes to fruit, "Scientists have found that consuming a portion and a half can lower the chances of suffering the deadly condition [heart disease] by up to 40 per cent. And the more fruit you eat the better--with the benefits increasing as servings grow."

Not only that, but "the researchers also found that people who consumed fruit more often had significantly lower blood pressure."

"This study adds to the growing body of evidence that shows the more fruit and vegetables we eat the better our heart health. Even eating just one more portion a day helped lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, which should give us all that extra incentive." (link)

Sweet Pasta Salad (and Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing)

I found this recipe on the back of a pasta box and thought it sounded good, so I gave it a try last week. Turns out I had to do some tweaking to give it the contrast of flavors I was looking for, but the result was yummy. We will definitely be repeating this one! (Note: This was made to feed 10 people, so if you're feeding fewer you may want to cut it down by half...)

Sweet Pasta Salad

About 24 oz. whole wheat pasta (this time around I used multi-colored)
1 c. raisins
1 c. blue cheese, crumbled
6 c. apples, chopped
1 1/3 (or a little less) light raspberry vinaigrette*
1/2 c. thinly chopped leek or other onion
1 c. hazelnuts, toasted (optional) (I loved it with salted cashews!)

If you want homemade raspberry vinaigrette, as I did, below is my aunt Kristin's tasty recipe:

*Raspberry (or Fruit) Vinaigrette Dressing

1 c. olive oil

2 Tb. apple cider
4 big spoons of raspberry, cranberry-raspberry, or apple-cherry frozen juice concentrate
1 1/2 tsp. Grey Poupon (or other) Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Blueberry Muffins (whole wheat, honey-sweetened)

We ate these muffins again a few days ago--a classic Family Favorite--and I took an updated picture, feeling re-inspired by their deliciousness.

First posted October of 2011:
My kids love muffins and there are smiles all around when I serve these! I like to make them more like bread than cake so we can have them for a meal. 

The original recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, p. 115. I modified it to substitute whole wheat flour and honey for the white flour and refined sugar.


BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Yield: 12 muffins

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. cooking oil

1/6 c. honey

3/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel, optional (but really best with it)

Grease twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture.  Set aside.

In another bowl combine egg, milk, oil, and honey.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until golden (or inserted wooden toothpick comes out clean).

Unbaked Berry Cheesecake

My mom came up with this recipe when one of my sisters wanted an unbaked cheesecake for her birthday dessert last year. Since they don't eat refined sugar, Mom had to figure out how to make it without. The result was exquisite--in looks and taste--as we found out this Thanksgiving.

Unbaked Berry Cheesecake

Crust

1 c. soft butter
dash salt
1/2 c. sucanat (or raw sugar)
2 c. whole wheat flour

Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Press mixture into 9 x 13" pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until nicely browned.
Allow to cool completely before filling with recipe below.

Filling

2- 12 oz cans apple or raspberry apple juice concentrate
4 c. frozen berries
1/2 c. cold water
5 Tb. cornstarch

2 c. whipping cream
2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3 or 4 Tb. honey

Pour juice in large pan on stove top and bring to boil.
Add berries, bring back to boil.
Mix cold water with cornstarch in separate bowl.
Take juice mixture off heat, mix in cornstarch mixture, return to heat. Stir until boiling and thickened. Cool.
Whip whipping cream.
Blend in cream cheese.
Fold in honey.
Pour cream cheese mixture over crust and chill while making berry mixture. Then pour berries over all. Refrigerate.

College Fitness and Health

With many students recently heading back to college, my thoughts are turned back to my college days and what a busy, stressful, fun time that was in my life. Included in that stress was trying to figure out how to stay fit and eat healthily with my limited time and resources.

Susan, a friend of mine, recently brought this website to my attention (found at http://www.thebestcolleges.org/the-best-regimen-for-college-fitness/), and I embed it here for others who may be struggling with the same college-time health questions. And really, these are great tips and reminders for all of us, no matter our age:

Apple Nut Pudding (Very Old Family Recipe)

This is one of those pudding recipes that actually means "cake." It's one of my very favorite dessert recipes of all time and brings with it all sorts of good family memories.

This recipe fits in the categories "traditional family recipe" and "tried and true recipe" because it comes from my maternal great grandmother (who died when I was two years old), and I don't know when it started before that. Since Grandma was born in Denmark, it may very well have come from there. Whatever the case, this "pudding" is oh, so tasty...

Of course, these days I make it with whole wheat flour and honey (and/or raw sugar).

Apple Nut Pudding
Yield: 8" square pan (about 9 servings)

2 eggs
1/2 c. honey or 1 c. raw sugar (or 1/4 c. honey and 1/2 c. raw sugar)
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. chopped nuts (the original recipe calls for walnuts, but as my mom is allergic to them, pecans were a good substitute when I was growing up--or omit the nuts altogether; it will still be good)
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1 1/2 c. diced raw apples

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add honey or raw sugar gradually, beating in each addition thoroughly.

Stir into this mixture the sifted flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add almond extract, nuts (if using), and diced apples. Mix well.

Pour into well greased 8-inch square pan. (Double recipe for 9 x 12 pan.)

Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 min, or until crisp and golden. Serve with whipped cream (the real kind, not the oily stuff from the can :)).

Honey Limeade

The other day I made fresh limeade with honey and realized that, while I've posted my raw sugar lemonade recipe, I haven't posted anything about making it with honey. Now, if you don't like the taste of honey in a beverage, this may not be for you, because you can taste the honey. But since we all love honey in my family, we loved this version of limeade. And, of course, it could just as easily be made with lemons instead (keeping in mind that lemons are generally about twice as big as limes).

Honey Limeade

Juice from 8 limes (about 3/4 c.)
3/4 c. honey
2 c. very warm water
more water

Pour honey into pitcher and add very warm water. Mix thoroughly so honey melts and combines with water.

Juice limes. Add juice to pitcher. Mix. Add cold water, to taste, until limeade is as tart or sweet as you like it. (Adding a drop of (CPTG) lemon essential oil might be nice, too.) Place in fridge to chill.

Strawberries and Cream

When I was a missionary for my church, a couple of fellow missionaries introduced me to this simple, yet delicious way of eating strawberries and cream. I remembered how wonderful it was and it has since become part of my family's tradition. Nowadays, I have modified it from brown sugar to raw sugar, and it's just as yummy.

Strawberries and Cream

Whole strawberries, washed
Sour cream
Raw sugar

Dip whole strawberries into bowl of sour cream until thinly coated. Roll in plate of raw sugar until coated. Enjoy!

Note: As you can tell from the picture, these need to be dipped immediately before eating (in other words, everyone dips their own while they're eating), as the sugar and cream tend to melt and slide off quickly.

"Aha" Apples

Ever had one of those "aha" or "I knew it!" moments about something you've already been doing for years? That's what I had a while back about something as simple as cutting an apple.

I had never thought about the way I cut apples until a good friend of mine watched me cutting them for a pie and asked me about it. She wondered why I did it that way and all I could say was that's how my mom taught me to do it, once upon a time.

Much later, my mother informed me that she had watched part of a cooking show where the chef demonstrated our way of cutting apples and said it was the most efficient way to cut them. My mom and I already knew that from experience, but we didn't expect a professional chef to know it! (Well, okay, we didn't really think about it.)

Such a little thing, but I felt validated. And I thought it would be fun to share.

So here is another chef demonstrating this technique (the only thing I don't do is cut off the little end at the beginning):

How to Cut Apples -- powered by ehow

Raw Food Matters

I wanted to share this video with you because it really made me think. I knew we didn't eat enough raw food, but wasn't sure what to do about it. The information in this short video has made me reevaluate and try to seriously figure out how to improve.

Root Cellaring

I have been learning about root cellaring lately and recently read this book by Mike and Nancy Bubel.  It gave me ideas about how to better store my fall produce in our basement, and what options we have for building in the future.  I would love to have my own root cellar and be able to fill it with our own produce to last through the winter. Imagine not having to rely on the grocery store at all for fruits and vegetables...

I hadn't thought much about root cellaring until I saw this book and started contemplating why this method of storing fruits and vegetables might be important.  One answer is obvious: If the electricity went out for any length of time, all the fruits and vegetables I have in my freezer (which is mostly what I have in there) would need to be used quickly or go bad.  The other answer is that, while home canning is an important skill to know and use, and that is a great way to build up food storage, it also takes a lot of energy (physically and electrically) to put up food that way--so it's not actually the most environmentally friendly option.  Besides that, eating your produce fresh (or fresh-cooked) is more nutritious than eating bottled goods anyway.

Do any of you have a cellar or had one growing up?  Memories? Do any of you have aspirations, like I do, to build one?

Ranger Cookies (Healthy Style)

This past Sunday I made cookies with my girls and we had a great time!  And, of course, after we made them, we had a great time eating them. I love having "healthful" cookies around! (Original recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, p. 212.)

Ranger Cookies
Yield: about 48 cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. oats
1 c. coconut
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In mixing bowl beat butter, then add honey till creamy.

Add and mix baking powder, baking soda, egg, and vanilla.

Add flour gradually, then oats and coconut.  When smooth, add raisins and chocolate chips last and mix only briefly.

Drop dough by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 1 minute (or more) before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Freezing Fresh Produce

I have been learning about the proper way to freeze different fresh fruits and vegetables and thought I would share what I've learned so far. (If you already know these things, bear with me. :))

Corn: We have been getting a lot more corn from our garden than our family can possibly eat as corn on the cob, and since most of it ripened at the same time, I thought I would just spend a day canning it. When I was growing up my family never grew corn in our garden, so I had to research to know what to do with it. First of all, I found out that corn is best preserved within 6 hours after it has been harvested. That was certainly not possible in my case; I got to it as soon as I could, but it wasn't that quickly. Secondly, I thought I could just cold pack it like I'm used to, but I found out that corn has to be pressure canned, since it has such low acidity, in order to not grow botulism. We don't have a pressure cooker and I didn't have the motivation or energy to try to locate one to borrow on short notice. So I realized my only other option was to freeze it (and I prefer the taste of frozen corn anyway). I didn't figure there was any trick to freezing corn, but I looked it up anyway and found out that there is more to it than I thought. I figured I could just cut the corn off the cob, throw it in bags, and put it in the freezer. But apparently, the flavor of raw corn loses its quality over a period of only two months, so cooking it beforehand for three or four minutes--called "blanching"--is preferable. It's also important to cool it quickly (in ice water, if possible) right after blanching, so it doesn't become mushy. Then, if you place the corn-filled Ziploc bags flat on a cookie sheet in a single layer, they will freeze better and stack more easily after freezing.

Raspberries: I bought a half-flat of these a couple weeks ago and was in heaven! Eating them was like reliving my childhood, when my mom and siblings and I used to walk over to my great-grandpa's house and pick several loaf-pans full of raspberries at a time. I love eating raspberries as-is, but since we had so many I thought maybe I'd do something different with them as well. But when my cousin gave me a tip on how to freeze them, I decided to try that to save them that way until I knew how I wanted to use them. And I love the result! This is definitely the best way to freeze raspberries: Place a kitchen towel on a cookie sheet and spread the raspberries out on the towel in a single layer. Freeze, then pop the berries off the towel and place them in bag or container. The raspberries freeze individually this way instead of in a big clump, so it's easy to just grab a handful to go with breakfast or whatever you want. Much, much easier!

Peaches: If you need tips on freezing peaches, refer back to this post.

Any others you want to know about or can offer tips on?

Cold Peach (or Berry) Pie

Peaches are one of my favorite fruits, especially when they can be eaten warm off the tree, dripping with juice, and practically melt in your mouth!

Short of that, the best way to get them, I think, is from someone who owns an orchard. That way, they're picked just short of ripeness (and ripen the rest of the way in your house)--instead of being picked green to send to the store. We bought a box of peaches from an orchard in Colorado a couple weeks ago and have been enjoying fresh, juicy peaches ever since. I don't think I could ever get tired of them! But we did have many that were ripening faster than we could eat them, so I decided to make a pie--but not a cooked one. Cold pies are so easy to make and so refreshing to eat on a hot, summer day. And in this recipe the only refined sugar is that found in the graham crackers. I remembered the fresh raspberry pies my mom used to make when I was growing up and figured the same thing could be done with peaches, so I asked for her recipe. Here are both variations:

Fresh Berry Pie

9” baked crust (or graham cracker crust*)
6 c. fresh, washed, destemmed berries
1 recipe berry glaze (see below)

Fill pie crust with berries. Pour glaze over top. Chill and serve.

Berry Glaze

1½ c. mashed berries
¼ c. frozen unsweeted apple juice concentrate, thawed
¼ c. frozen unsweetened apple-raspberry juice concentrate, thawed
2 Tb. cornstarch

Puree mashed berries until smooth (in blender).
In small saucepan, put pureed berries, juice concentrates, and cornstarch; stir until cornstarch is well blended.
Over medium heat, stirring constantly, heat to boiling. Mixture will become thick.
Cool and pour over berries in pie crust.
If this glaze is too thick, you will need to gently stir it into the berries so that the pie will hold together (don’t disturb the crust).

FRESH PEACH PIE VARIATION: Use the same recipe for peaches, but use mashed peaches instead of mashed berries for the glaze. And use all apple juice concentrate so it isn't red.


*Graham Cracker Crust

1/3 c. butter
(1/8 c. honey, optional--but it may help crust stick together better)
1 1/4 c. finely crushed graham crackers (about 18) (I use a blender to crush them)
Melt butter, stir in honey, if using. Add crushed crackers; toss to mix well.

Spread evenly into 9-inch pie plate (but this recipe makes enough for two pies the size of my pie plates). Press onto bottom and sides to form an even crust. Chill about 1 hour or until firm. (Or, bake in 375 degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until edge is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.)

Freezing Fruit

...Peaches, in particular. I came across this article about the do's and don't's of freezing peaches and learned something new. Since this is the season to can and freeze fresh fruit, I thought I would pass it on, in case it can be of help to others, too.

The Popsicle Alternative

This time of year my girls get excited about popsicles (what little kid doesn't?) as they see them in stores everywhere. Since we generally try to avoid sugar at our house, I opted for homemade sugarless popsicles, which I remember loving as a little kid.

So I bought some popsicle molds, made a smoothie (with strawberries, mango, yogurt, fruit juice, and a little honey), froze them, and wa-lah! My girls were so excited and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It's so easy to do, versatile (you have so many different options), and healthy too.

Delectable Cheesecake

This is so incredibly delicious we all agreed that there is no reason whatsoever to use refined sugar as the original recipe calls for (from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, p. 248-249). It was gone way too fast, but it was heaven while it lasted... Someday I'll have to try it with just honey, like my mom has done, and see if we like it as well as this version.

Delectable Cheesecake

1 1/2 c. finely crushed graham crackers
1/2 Tb. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 8-ounces packages cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. honey
1/2 c. raw sugar
2 Tb. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. milk
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel (optional)
1 recipe Strawberry Sauce (optional), see bottom of page

For crust, in a bowl combine graham crackers (I crushed in blender), the 1/2 Tb. honey, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan (Or you can use a round cake pan, if you're like me and don't have a cheesecake pan. I have also used two pie plates as another alternative.) Set aside.

For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, the 1/4 c. honey and 1/2 c. raw sugar, flour, and vanilla with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in milk until smooth. Stir in eggs and, if desired, lemon peel.

Pour filling into crust-lined pan. (There was a little too much to fit in this one pan, so I poured the rest in two small ceramic bowls.) Place pan in shallow baking pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven 40-45 min for an 8-inch pan, about 35 min for a 9-inch pan, or until a 2 1/2-inch area around the outside edge appears set when gently shaken.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 min. Using a sharp small knife, loosen the crust from sides of pan; cool for 30 minutes more. Remove the sides of the pan (if using a cheesecake pan); cool cheesecake completely on rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours before serving. If desired, serve with Strawberry Sauce.

Strawberry Sauce
Yield: 2 cups

3 c. fresh strawberries or one 16-ounce package frozen unsweetened whole strawberries, thawed
1/4 c. raw sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch

Thaw berries, if frozen. Do not drain. Place berries in blender or food processor bowl. Cover and blend until berries are smooth. (You should have about 1 1/4 c. puree.)

In a small saucepan combine raw sugar and cornstarch. Add blended berries. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 min more. Transfer to a bowl. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Serve over cheesecake.

Goal-Reaching

As I mentioned before, my husband's job has an employee wellness program. Over the past year he has participated in a few different programs, keeping track of his progress and reporting regularly. All of this will add up to us being able to continue paying less for our health benefits, so it would be worth participating in even if the goals weren't helpful, which they have been (all except the weight loss one).

The one I wanted to talk about, though, ended last month and its purpose was to help employees eat more fruits and vegetables per day. We generally have quite a variety of fruits and vegetables at home, particularly when I can regularly get a Bountiful Basket each week (which lately hasn't been happening, thanks to the ridiculously high demand in my town and the ridiculously low availability). But my husband had to consciously make an effort each day--even each meal--to get in the recommended number of cups of fruits and vegetables for his body size. The produce he needed was available, which made things easier for him than I'm sure it was for a lot of the employees, but he had to consciously choose them as snacks, or choose them over other foods at mealtimes. It was interesting for me to watch this process and I was proud of him for his effort and success.

As I've thought about it, I've realized that this process my husband went through is what we all have to do when we make goals for ourselves, whether health-related or not. Making the goal is the easy part, and writing it down isn't difficult either, but then we have to make the conscious decision--often daily--to reach for our goal in a specific, concrete way. As my three-year-old would sing, "Keep trying, don't give up" (from Yo Gabba Gabba). When the goal at last becomes habit, then things become easier for us. And when the change becomes normal to us (though, granted, there may always be some effort--some self-control--involved), then we can truly say we have made a lifestyle change. And that's what we all need to really progress, change, and improve, isn't it?

Fruit Crisp (Sugarless)

This is an extremely versatile dish that is one of my favorite sugarless fruit recipes. We have eaten it as dessert, but because it has no refined sugar, we have also eaten it as part of breakfast, or simply as a snack. I adapted and modified it from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (p.246). I prefer my "crisp" more like cobbler and have therefore. over time, learned to triple the amount of topping (which includes the oats, honey, flour, butter, and coconut). If you prefer yours with less topping, just cut it back down. So far, one of my favorite fruit combination has been fresh apples with several sliced fresh strawberries. Strawberries and rhubarb is also wonderful, and is what is shown in this picture.

Fruit Crisp

5 c. sliced, peeled cooking apples, pears, peaches, apricots, berries, or a combination (can also use frozen, unsweetened fruit in place of fresh)
1 1/2 c. regular oats
1 c. honey (or less, depending on how sweet you want it)
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon (or, if you're like me, you might add skimpy 1/4 teaspoons of two or all three of these)
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. shredded coconut (optional)

For fruit filling, thaw fruit if frozen. Do not drain. Place fruit in a 9 X 13 baking dish.

For topping, in a medium bowl combine the oats, honey, flour, and nutmeg. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut, if using. Sprinkle topping over fruit.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until fruit is tender and topping is golden.

Note: At higher altitudes, like mine, (and with the soft winter apples I last used), cooking it this long would turn it into mush. So I would suggest setting your oven to 15 minutes and then checking how tender the fruit is at that point.

Berry, Berry Strawberry Cake

My family has a tradition of making a special dinner whenever it is someone's birthday--and he/she gets to choose the menu. This tradition was one big thing that really made birthdays special when I was growing up, so I wanted to continue it with my own family. While our children are too young to know what to choose, we pick things we know they like. This year when I asked our youngest daughter what she wanted for her birthday dinner, the only thing she could tell me--which she had already been telling me for weeks-- was that she wanted "a pink, strawberry cake." This little girl loves Strawberry Shortcake, the cartoon character, but she was positive she wanted a pink cake instead of actual strawberry shortcake (I showed her pictures).

So I got to work searching through online recipes. Everything I found used either a cake mix and/or red jello powder. I was, of course, already planning to modify whatever I found, but those sort of items are not modifiable. So I kept searching and hit upon this one. Even exchanging the white flour for wheat, raw sugar for refined sugar, and in the frosting using Florida Crystals less refined sugar for powdered sugar (and half the amount called for, at that), it was very sweet, delicious, soft, satisfying, with a "berry" distinct strawberry flavor--and everyone at the party (all 15 people) seemed to like it a lot. I definitely want to make this one again!

Berry, Berry Strawberry Cake

3 c. whole wheat flour
3 3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. salt
2 c. raw sugar
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. pureed strawberries, strained* (I didn't bother to strain them and was glad I didn't worry about it)--a 16 oz. carton of fresh strawberries made the perfect amount
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon zest
4 large eggs, beaten
red food coloring**

- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside. (My round cake pans were big enough I only needed 2 of them.)
- Prepare the cake batter; in a large bowl, stir to combine flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oil, pureed strawberries, vanilla, lemon zest, and eggs.
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes.
- Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting (recipe below); frost as desired and refrigerate until ready to serve.
* You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If you use frozen, let them defrost on a cookie sheet. Then place in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Run through a medium-sized strainer to remove the seeds.
** [The author of the blog recipe says:] I did add some food coloring to achieve that perfectly pink color. If you don’t care about getting the pink color, feel free to leave it out. I used about 5 drops, but you should add them one at a time until you achieve the color you are looking for. I needed about 7 drops, since I used whole wheat flour, which turned the batter a brownish color.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. Florida Crystals less refined sugar
1 Tb. milk (if needed--mine needed it)

- Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.
- Slowly add the sugar in small batches until desired sweetness is achieved.
- Stir in vanilla. Add milk slowly if you need a looser consistency.