Baking with Blueberries

Have you found yourself with too many blueberries on hand? Yeah, that was me this week. IS me I should say because I still have a bunch left.

And when I say too many I don't mean that in a "bad" way. It's just tricky to use up a lot of them before they go bad, and blueberries going bad, now THAT would be the bad thing.

So the other day I found myself with an overstock of blueberries…

What happened is we bought one big pack at Costco and then we had to quickly stop at Sobeys and grab something where my husband picked up another pack, not realizing we already had one from Costco. So now here we are LOTS of these sweet little blue morsels. 

Since then we've been putting them in everything. Blueberries in our Sunday pancakes, in our yogurt, in our Shakeology, in my late night cereal snack (ooopsss), in this morning's oatmeal. And I have a blueberry lemon loaf baking in the oven right now to take to a friend's for afternoon tea ;) Keeping my fingers crossed it turns out well, haha.

That pretty much took care of ONE PACK! I still have another one to dig into. I'm thinking another batch of pancakes to freeze to pull out for quick snack or breakfast. I may also do a baked oatmeal with them. 

Now all these blue buddies wouldn't be so bad either if I hadn't also grabbed a thing of strawberries and raspberries!! I observed yesterday that I can tell when the fruit season shifts as I have next to no apples and pears on my counter but my fridge is jam packed with berries of all kinds. NOT complaining though as berries are super duper healthy and the kids and I love 'em. 

What are some of your favourite ways to use up extra fruit so it doesn't go bad? I do find that baking with it makes a great option but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And in case you are interested here is my recipe for the blueberry the blueberry lemon loaf.

Blueberry Lemon Loaf

Mix together the dry ingredients

1 and 3/4 cup flour 

1/3 cup coconut sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

zest of 1/2 lemon

Mix together the following wet ingredients

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together

****When wet and dry ingredients are partially mixed add in 1/2 cup melted coconut oil****

Add in 1 cup blueberries

Place into a coconut oil greased loaf pan

Baked at 375' for approx 40 minutes

If you like you can also make a super easy glaze that soaks into the top by mixing the juice of one lemon with 1 tbsp coconut sugar, then lightly pour over the top while still warm. 

Now I better go check on that loaf, it smells pretty yummy from my spot at the table. 

Avoid These Five Fitness Mistakes

So you’ve made the decision that you are finally going to shed some weight and get fit. But before you start off be sure you know these common fitness mistakes so that you can avoid making them.

It’s okay, we all make mistakes. That is why I am here. I am going to tell you what the top five common fitness mistakes are and how YOU can avoid them.

5. Lack of a Plan. For me this is very important. You wouldn’t go on a cross country drive without your GPS would you? So why is it people expect to go on a fitness and health journey without knowing some specifics. Look up fitness plans online, take them with you, refer to it constantly. Keep yourself on track.  This is where workout videos are actually a great option for a newbie. They tell you EXACTLY what to do.

4. Too Much Too Fast. Many people when they start are excited, which is great. BUT that excitement can lead to overload. Don’t try heading out to jog 5 miles the first time. Don’t sign up for a class every day. Don’t just hop into hot yoga. Don’t load up with big weights thinking that you are tough enough. It isn’t just about strengths, it is about smarts. Easing yourself in is incredibly important to avoid burnout, both mentally and physically. Start with three days at a time, even as little as 25 minutes. Then as you progress do more and more each week. 

3. Poor Form. A huge reason why many people fall off the wagon is that they hurt themselves. Often this is due to poor form which can leads to strains, sprains, and even worse, breaks. There are guides on workout videos for a reason, to help you correct your form to avoid injury. If you are hitting the gym, get some help from the staff on your form. There are also plenty of youtube tutorials out there just waiting to show you the way. Avoiding injury is critical and that starts with proper form.

2. Only Cardio. Women seem to be particularly bad for making this mistake. They go and spend an hour on the treadmill or other cardio machine, or they just set out to jog. I’m sorry but that is not going to help you reach your goals. You may lose weight, and yes you are burning calories, but you will remain soft. You won’t get any tone. This also means you aren’t going to see the results you want and may end up leading you to quit your efforts. Add regular strength training and in no time you will see your goals within sight.

1. Improper Nutrition. When I ask many of my challengers about their biggest struggle they tell me it is exercise. Nine times out of ten though that is what should be the least of their worries. You can not out exercise a bad diet, and you'd be surprised how easily you can out eat your workout. If you are serious about getting fit you have to be serious about your diet. Up to 80% of your weight loss and results depends on nutrition. Start eating clean, avoid the inside aisles at the grocery store, fill up on whole foods, drink lots of water.

If you are guilty of making any of these common fitness mistakes don’t worry. Now you know better. Find a plan that will work for you and commit. Take things easy, gradually increasing intensity and frequency. Do research on how to do things right. Balance out your efforts between cardio AND resistance training. And most importantly FUEL YOUR BODY RIGHT!

Now get out there and get Rockin'