ARF Readiness

For those that have been following and joining in my ARF/5-A-Day weekly event, we have all been exposed to tons of new inspiration on getting ARFs (my slang for Antioxidant Rich Foods), fruits and vegetables into our diet. And heck, desserts have been made ARF-friendly and just a tad less sinful (right, Stacey?). The possibilities are really endless, and only limited to the confines of your own imagination. Eating your fruits and veggies doesn’t have to be a chore anymore.

ARFs on the go can be pretty easy too … grabbing a handful of fresh berries or raw vegetables as you dash out the door takes just a few minutes as long as you have a well-stocked kitchen. The folks at Arizona Tea are also helping us out a bit as well. A few weeks ago, I ran into a deli with my Mom and she pointed out this new flavor Arizona has recently added to their line, Antioxidant Pomegranate Chinese Apple Green Tea. Is this up our alley or what? Now, unfortunately, a word of caution – this baby is ridiculously hard to find. None of the grocery stores in our area carry it, just this little deli. The owner is very nice and now orders me a few cases every time he places an order (and even throws in a little discount), but it’s really worth seeking out.

It is all natural, has no preservatives, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and and is downright delicious. They also have a second flavor in their new Antixodant line, Blueberry White Tea. I haven’t been able to track this one down yet, but I’m on the hunt.

Speaking of fruit, I’ll leave you with the Banana Blueberry Bread recipe I made last night. I finally had a chance to try it this afternoon and it gets a thumbs up from the Sweetnicks house. Dense, moist and not too sweet. Only change I made was to add a little bit of banana extract.

OK folks, all for tonight. Tune in tomorrow for the ARF/5-A-Day roundup where we’re all making recipes from other food bloggers’ sites. I know what I’m making … do you?

Nicholasism for Today: “Mama, is he a good cooker?” Nicholas and I watched Emeril tonight, and I’d have to say Emeril is “a good cooker.” Haven’t had a bad Emeril recipe yet.

A year ago today… Soup’s on!

Blueberry Banana Bread
Recipe from Running with Tweezers who got it from the Very Blueberry cookbook

Makes 1 loaf

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 3 by 8 inch metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. (Note: Ovenproof glass conducts heat more than metal does, so if you’re using a glass loaf pan, decrease the oven temperature by 25 degrees). In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, butter, and bananas and mix well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add all liquid ingredients all at once. Stir only enough to moisten. Add the blueberries and gently fold in and turn into the prepared pan. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

*Bottle picture courtesy of Arizona Tea.

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