healthy homemade fruit snacks

Healthy Homemade Fruit Snacks

2/3 C fresh or frozen berries
2/3 C fresh lemon or orange juice
2-4 T honey, depending on your taste
5 T grass-fed beef gelatin

Directions:

1. Combine juice and berries in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the fruit begins to soften.
2. Add in the honey and stir until fully incorporated.
3. Take the mixture off of the heat and let it sit for a few minutes, then puree until smooth (I love my immersion blender so I can leave it right in the pot).
4. Slowly add in the gelatin while continuously stirring to avoid any clumps. If you do get some clumping put it back over low heat and stir until they are dissolved.
5. Once the gelatin is all incorporated and dissolved pour the mixture into a 9x9 baking dish and put it in the refrigerator to set for 1-2 hours.
6. Cut it into squares and enjoy!

Keep them refrigerated to last longer.

If you follow me on Instagram (@stacyhartsew) then you already know that we made some healthy homemade fruit snacks the other day. I shared the recipe there, but wanted to share it here as well to help spread the word since I know a lot of kids love fruit snacks while a lot of parents won't buy them because of the icky ingredients. I fall into that category so I was excited to come across this recipe and try it out.

One of the main reasons I wanted to make some for my kids wasn't necessarily to give them a store-bought fruit snack alternative, but to offer them a food packed with natural collagen, protein, and all of the other health benefits provided by gelatin (if you live in Utah I got my Great Lakes grass-fed beef gelatin at Real Foods Market, otherwise you can find it online here, but you can use regular gelatin as well).

The recipe was easy to make and my kids have been enjoying snacking on them throughout the week, even if at first it did catch them off guard that they didn't taste exactly like the super sweet sugary fruit snacks they expected (I used 2 T of honey, but in my opinion it could have used more).

After we made these I came across this recipe using different combinations of fruit and veggie juice which I think I'll try out next time. It also adds in vanilla which sounds so yummy! Have you ever made homemade fruit snacks? What is your favorite flavor combination? We made a batch of strawberry and a batch of blueberry. I find myself partial to the blueberry.

purple and orange carrots

  

  We've enjoyed our garden so much this summer. We are still harvesting quite a bit (see yesterday's haul above) and I love going out to see what's ready to be put on the menu that day - I'm going to miss that when the snow comes. But for now I am up to my ears in zucchini, kale, and chard ready for the picking, so this weekend will be spent baking, baking, and baking some more. Yum. Hope you have a delicious weekend as well.

Signed,

eating for two 

pumpkin cookies

I've tried several different pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one has been my favorite by far. They are everything they should be - moist and delicious with just the right amount of spice... and very tempting to steal!

peach jam '09

This past weekend I tried my hand at canning for the first time. Our friends moved into a house with a mature peach tree and gifted us a huge bag full of perfectly ripe fruit. Immediately, my mind turned back to summer days when my mother hardly left the stove and rows upon rows of bottled jam, grape juice, tomatoes, etc. would line the counter. And it just felt like the right time for me to continue the tradition for my own family.

I followed the directions that are in the Ball pectin box, excepting I used honey instead of sugar. It is so delicious and I feel so proud seeing my own rows of pretty jars lining the counter. I already have very ambitious plans in my head for next year... I never would have guessed how satisfying it is to hear that little "pop" when the lid seals!

happy fourth!

We are going to a family bbq tomorrow and need to bring a dessert. In my opinion there isn't anything better than fresh berries to end a meal, so these red, white, and blue desserts from Martha look divine!

Enjoy your weekend!

lemon meringue pie

(photo from here because mine was eaten before I thought to snap a photo!)

For Father's Day I made husband his ultimate favorite - Lemon Meringue Pie. It was my first attempt and it turned out to be quite delicious! I don't really care for it myself, but this time (maybe because I was eating the fruits of my labor) it seemed to grow on me. The recipe is from my mother-in-law, try it out!

Pie Crust:

5 C. flour
2 tsp. salt
1 and 3/4 C. butter (3 1/2 cubes)
1/2 C. cold water
1 T. vinegar
1 egg, beaten

Cut butter into flour and salt. Mix water, vinegar, and egg. Add dry ingredients to liquid. Makes 5 single 9-inch pie shells.

Filling:

2 1/4 C. cold water
2 C. sugar
1/2 C. cornstarch
2 T. butter
3/4 C. fresh lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)
lemon zest from 1 lemon (opt.)
5 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
1/4 C. milk

In a 3 qt. saucepan combine the water, sugar, cornstarch, and butter. Boil until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and the egg yolks beaten with the milk. Cook until thickened again, stirring constantly. Cool slightly and pour into a cooled 9-inch pie shell (I found that it made enough for two pie shells).

Meringue:

3-4 egg whites
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar (opt.)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients together and beat until it is glossy and forms stiff peaks. Spread on top of the filling. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 7 minutes, until meringue is golden brown. Cool, eat, and enjoy!


And, the little miss did end up giving her daddy a coupon tie. But, she didn't want to hand it over when the time came - it was too yummy!