Raspberry Dreams

What a lovely weekend to spend planting, pruning and dreaming of the fruits to come!

Raspberry mulching was my task for the day; though the raspberry plants are just canes all of two and a half feet tall. These winter canes will be dormant for a few more weeks. Yet I could see their promise of deep red raspberries with juicy, sweet flavor.

Then I wandered off into my imagination …. blueberries, blackberries, mulberries, logan berries, elderberries…. I was in berry land and how I would eat them…. triple berry pie, raspberry granola with yogurt, blueberry smoothies, elderberry tea…berries and cream.

Why eat berries?
Here are a few great reasons to eat them daily.

I had the great pleasure of speaking with Dr. James Joseph, one of the lead researchers at The Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging where they have been investigating the polyphenols in raspberries and their effects on cognitive and motor skills in aging mice. They found there is a positive correlation between eating a raspberries and regaining cognitive and motor abilities. Blueberries seem to help with memory and cognitive skills. When asked where he got the berries, he said in the freezer department of the local supermarket!

Another great nutritional berry gem comes from the American Cancer Society’s work. They report that the ellagic acid found in raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries and many other fruits and nuts, may slow some tumor growths, help to stop the proliferation of new cancer blood vessel, and support the liver in its unending task of detoxifying the body.

So join me in dreaming about berries, and then enjoy some in your next smoothie.


Raspberry Coconut Smoothie

½ - ¾ cup coconut milk
1 ripe banana
½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds
Optional:
1 scoop protein powder, whey, rice or hemp

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Store leftovers in the blender in the refrigerator. Simply re-blend before serving or freeze the extra in an ice cube tray and blend cubes into your next smoothie.

Our Ceres Project Cookbook Nourishing Connections has delicious recipes for berry pies and more!