December is Read a New Book Month, but there are also certain special days. I found a long list on the family crafts portion of about.com. I only chose a few food related ones to share. I'll try to blog about them throughout the month too:
- December 1 = Eat a Red Apple Day
- December 4 = Cookie Day
- December 13 = Cocoa Day
- December 16 = Chocolate Covered Anything Day
- December 17 = Maple Syrup Day
- December 19 = Oatmeal Muffin Day
With apples in mind today, I wanted to share a few tid bits of information and a recipe. Of course apples are a great choice and fit into the Vegetables and Fruit group of Canada's Food Guide. They contain phytonutrients that help regulate blood sugar and fibre which contributes to heart health. More often that not, choose the whole apple instead of applesauce or apple juice - it will satisfy you longer. Also, even though they are healthy, don't stick to the idea of "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" because as you remember, variety is important and different fruits have different nutrients, so mix it up!BAKED APPLES
Ingredients
4 large apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup dried fruit
1 Tablespoon margarine
3/4 cup boiling water
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Wash apples. Remove cores to 1/2 inch of the bottom of the apples. Use a spoon to dig out the seeds. Make the holes about 3/4-inch to an inch wide.
2 In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, dried fruit, and nuts. Place apples in a 8-inch-by-8-inch square baking pan. Stuff each apple with this mixture. Top with a dot of margarine (1/4 of the Tbps).
3 Add boiling water to the baking pan. Bake 30-40 minutes, until tender, but not mushy. Remove from the oven and baste the apples several times with the pan juices.
Yield: Makes 4 servings.
Steph Wheler, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com
