The dog days of summer are upon us again. You can tell. You ask your dogs if they want to go out? They look at you like you've lost your mind! You walk outside; and your clothes are completely drenched in a few minutes. So while the temperature is soaring upwards, my AC thermostat goes in the opposite direction. Another thing that's falling is the price of blueberries. This is good news and proof: eating healthy doesn't have to be expensive. If you can harvest it yourself, you are wise to get the exercise to help lower your blood sugar.
It’s that time of year for blueberry harvesting. I’m lucky enough to have a neighbor that encourages people to come over and pick his blueberry bushes. So this past week, I took some time to pick 4 pounds of blueberries. Thank you for the excellent fruit! If any of your neighbors invite you to go blueberry picking, I recommend going in the morning while it’s still cool. Or you can take the easier route, and go to your local grocery store or farm stand.
I come back to blueberries over and over again. They have a lower amount of sugar in them. They are also good for your brain. They’re also good to help prevent aging with all the antioxidants in them.
With this weeks recipe, I’m doubling down on healthy ingredients. I’m adding dark chocolate to the mix with a bit of cinnamon, What could be better than enjoying chocolate dipped blueberries fresh out of the freezer to cool off? It's going to be one of my favorite summer snacks.
Dark chocolate is also good for your brain. It also has antioxidants that help fight aging. Cinnamon is another fantastic ingredient for blood sugar control. There are some great facts on dark chocolate in my article " The Power of Delicious Dark Chocolate" , blueberries in "Sweet Garden Treats" & cinnamon in "Just Add Cinnamon...".
I got the idea. Then I looked up a recipe for a dark chocolate dipping sauce. The one I found didn’t have amounts for a recipe. So I went on ahead and made one up. I had two different types of dark chocolate. One is more specialized for baking being 100% unsweetened cocoa. The other bar is my favorite type of snacking chocolate at 86% dark chocolate. The recipe tends to be less sweet because of this, so just increase the number of Stevia/vanilla extract mix drops.
Dark Chocolate Dipped Blueberries
Prep time: 1 hr. 15 min. Cook Time; 5 min. Rest time: 20 min. Total Time: 1 hr. 40min.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. Ghirardelli intense dark chocolate 86% cocoa
1 oz. Bakers premium baking bar unsweetened chocolate 100% cocoa
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 ounce sunflower oil
30+ drops of 50/50 Stevia/vanilla extract mix
5 oz. blueberries fresh
*** Sun Icon = Summer Recipes ***
Directions:
1.) Measure and prepare all your ingredients and parchment lined cookie sheet in advance.
2.) Wash the blue berries; and allow to dry for 1 hour.
3.) Turn your stove eye on to medium heat. Allow the water in your double boiler to come to a slow rolling boil.
4.) Add your chocolate; but keep stirring it. Chocolate can get scorched.
5.) Toss in the cinnamon & nutmeg when the chocolate starts to melt. Continue stirring.
6.) Stir in the sunflower oil, Stevia drops, and heavy whipping cream. Ensure everything as well blended.
7.) Remove the pot from the stove eye; and allow it to cool for a minute or two.
8.) Gently stir in the dry blueberries. If there’s any moisture on the blueberries, the chocolate will seize and have to be thrown out. Mix with a spoon until the blueberries are thoroughly coated in chocolate.
9.) Spoon drops of the mixture onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Please be careful. This snack, along with a healthy diet, can cause low blood sugar, especially if you're on insulin. Now to keep my blood sugar low, I’m headed back out to harvest more tomatoes and cranberry hibiscus for tea. It’s great to have the fruit of my labor paying off in produce. Blanching, freezing, and canning foods will give you food supplies that last from 6 to 8 months. Eating the food that is in season is smart. Even if you have to buy it at the grocery store, the prices of produce come down when food is in season.
Let me know if you try this recipe. Please comment, like, share, and come back next week for more recipes, ideas, and tips. Subscribe to the website, if you would like weekly email reminders to add more recipes to your recipe book.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice, but a compilation of research from medical sites. Make sure to see your doctor and have up to date lab work.
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