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What a beautiful summer we are having. I hope you are savoring every drop of sunshine and every bite of delicious berry.

Dark blue gems are among the most rare and valuable stones in the world. The deep blue color suggest loyalty, wisdom and calm.

It has been said, that the person wearing sapphires is supposed to find wise solutions to their problems. For the past month I have

been harvesting these dark blue, sapphire-like gems by the gallon. While I may not have every solution to every problem, I have a

wealth of uses for these lovely berries.

• Blueberries contain more antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables
• These lovely berries are America’s 2nd favorite berry
• Early colonists made gray paint by boiling blueberries in milk
• The anthocyanin present in blueberries is good for eyesight
• Native Americans used blueberry juice for its medicinal value

 

 

Now, Glamour Canners, lets gather up our sapphires, blue topaz, and aquamarine gems.

Put on your blue silk dress and your blue satin shoes and lets “Get Glamming” .

I love being able to use any fresh produce I have from my garden. You can make this salad using  just about anything fresh you have on hand.

My good friend Darryl, gave me some yellow summer squash, so I I put to good use.

Roast together at 350 degrees:

• 1 small summer squash
• one red pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• salt & pepper

After roasting, put in fridge to cool. I added 1 cup corn at this time.

Mix together:

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 TBSP honey
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 TBSP fresh cilantro

Pour dressing onto salad and toss, season to taste. If you don’t like cilantro, try parsley. Use any combinations of vegetables you like, varying what you roast and add fresh.

I like the berries and peppers roasted, because they add a sweetness that pairs nicely with the tartness of lime juice. Maybe add jalapeno pepper and cumin? Be creative.

 

 

I played around with these muffins for a long time to get the tenderness of a cupcake with out the sweetness. Because They aren’t as sweet, I topped them with a nice lemon glaze.

I really like the contrast of sweet and sour adding to the texture of the ripe berries.

Glamour Muffins:

In mixing bowl cream together:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar  ADD
• 2 eggs

In small bowl mix together:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP lemon zest

Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture alternately with :

• 1 cup milk

Scoop into muffin tins, bake 350 degrees 20 minutes or so until toothpick comes out clean.

makes 12 -16 muffins

 

 

Another Glamour-filled, fun day. I have more blueberry goodness to share with you next time. Until then, treat yourselves well, and as always, “Keep the Glamour Going.”