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This quick summer dessert couldn't be easier to
make or more delicious to eat. Use the locally grown
and organic fruits you prefer. I usually shop at the
farmers' market for whatever's in season. Right now,
that means blackberries, blueberries, peaches and
the last of the strawberries. Serve with yogurt and
granola for breakfast, or whipped cream and toasted
walnuts for dessert. Yum!
Ingredients: * Blackberries, blueberries, peaches, strawberries and other seasonal fruit * Nonfat French Vanilla organic yogurt or * One pint organic heavy whipping cream, plus 1 tsp vanilla and 3 tbsp. confectioner's sugar * 1/2 cup favorite granola or * 1/2 cup toasted walnut halves To Make: Rinse blackberries and blueberries in running water. Slice strawberries in half if large. Drain in colander. Wash peaches and cut into bite-size pieces. Mix all berries and peaches together; set aside. Toast walnuts in heavy skillet for five minutes max. Make sure they don't burn! Pulse in food processor for 20-30 seconds, just until halves crumble into pieces. If using whipped cream, pour cream into a small mixing bowl; add 1 tsp vanilla and begin beating on high. As beating continues, add confectioner's sugar to taste. Beat until cream is so thick a berry will stand up straight in it and not sink to the bottom of the bowl. Fill small dessert dish about half way with fruit. Top with generous spoonful of yogurt or whipped cream (if you have a parfait glass, alternate yogurt or cream with fruit). Sprinkle with granola or walnuts. Enjoy! |
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The recent Green Purse Alerts! story on sunscreen
generated several comments that are worth sharing
here.
One reader worried that many sunscreens rely on nan otechnology, which manipulates particles that are smaller than 100 nanometers (nm); for comparison, a human hair is about 80,000 nm in diameter. Some research indicates that nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, which makes it easier for sun screen to soak into the skin, are small enough to bypass the body's defensive "blood-brain barrier," enter the brain and damage brain cells. (Larger particles are blocked by that barrier and don't pose this problem). Environmental Working Group notes that, while several studies have found that nanotechnology does not penetrate healthy skin, nanoparticles can still pose a danger to consumers or the workers who manufacture them; it is unknown what environmental impact nanoparticles have. You can find sunscreens that do not contain nanoparticles - but they may contain other chemicals that can pose health hazards. Your best bet? Stay out of the sun between the intense solar hours of 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and wear protective clothing when you are exposed. Speaking of which, another reader noted that clothing specifically manufactured to resist the UV rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer may be coated with nano-based chemicals. It is difficult to determine which clothing relies on nanotechnology and which doesn't. Question the manufacturer if you're concerned. Or follow recommendations on ehow.com and chose tightly woven cotton, wool and polyester, which offer better protection than linen, acetate, rayon and other thin fabrics. Rule of thumb: if you can see your skin through the clothes you're wearing, they're probably not blocking UV rays very effectively. While you're at it, protect your eyes with sunglasses that specifically offer UV protection. Look for photochromic lenses, which reduce glare, sun and UV radiation without reducing visibility. Finally, a doctor wrote to say that the skin needs some exposure to sunlight, since that is how the body restores its supply of Vitamin D. While this is true, most health professionals agree that the body can get enough Vitamin D from about 15 minutes of sun exposure in a day. If you walk back and forth to your car, walk in and out of work, or take the dog for a stroll during daylight hours you should be fine. By no means do you need to expose your skin to 15 minutes of blazing sun in the middle of the day. |
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Big Green Purse book update: If you happen
to be attending the national BlogHer 08 conference in San
Francisco, this weekend, stop by and say hello! I'll be
signing copies of Big Green
Purse after my panel presentation on Friday, July
18.
Talk to you again soon,
 Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse
email:
diane@biggreenpurse.com
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