Create a Colorful Red, White, and Blue Dessert 1,2,3

Nowadays, many of us make plans to get together with family and friends during the Memorial Day Weekend for picnics, cookouts, or other gatherings. Want the perfect dessert to serve at your party? It uses fruits that are at the peak of ripeness and flavor right now. 

You're sure to see smiles on the faces of family and guests as you serve this colorful red, white, and blue dessert at your dining or patio table. A three ingredient recipe that's relatively inexpensive, a snap to assemble, and packed with 3 healthful ingredients. What more could you ask? Just follow the 3 steps below.

Ingredients:

1 Quart Organic Strawberries or about 16 oz. of berries that are lightly washed in cool water and hulled (see links below)

1 Quart Organic Blueberries or about 16 oz. that are washed in cool water

1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut (either fine or coarsely shredded)

Read what Molly Watson shares about washing and hulling strawberries.

How to wash strawberries

How to hull strawberries

4 hulled strawberries

What to Do:

1. Wash and hull strawberries and wash blueberries as described above. Place them in a medium-sized glass bowl and mix them together.

2. Sprinkle the berries with coconut flakes.

3. Insert serving spoons into bowl and place on your holiday table or portion out into individual dessert dishes for a more formal touch.

This is a Berry Good Dessert

Strawberries and blueberries contain many healthful elements. They're high in vitamin C, phytonutrients, and contain no cholesterol. Shredded coconut provides fiber, iron, and healthy fat to satisfy and stave off hunger. 

Look at the links below for additional nutrition facts from Driscolls.com

Nutrition facts about strawberries

Nutrition facts about blueberries

Take some time this Memorial Day weekend to remember and honor those Americans who are our war dead. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Serve this color rich dessert to honor the red, white, and blue. In fact, serve it anytime you want to top off your meal with a delicious and healthful finale.

For a More Formal Look, Serve in Goblets

Before you go, ask yourself how often you serve summer berries. Do you purchase them at a farmer's market, pick them from your home garden, or purchase at a local shop? Berries lose nutrients and spoil, the longer you keep them it. Serve within a day or two of purchase. What are your favorite ways to serve strawberries and blueberries? Have you made plans for this weekend or is your plan to relax and kick back? Leave questions, comments, and/or share this berry recipe. Sharing is caring and I care about you. Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone.

Here's the quotation for today from Jordin Sparks:

"I love berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, anything with an 'errie' in it!"

THis post has been shared at Traffic-Jam-Weekend-Linky-Party-102

This post has been shared at  Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up or at Ilka's Blog

This post has been shared at The No-Rules-Weekend-Blog-Party-186

This post has been shared at The Pin Junkie Pin Party #168

This post has been shared at The-Plant-Based-Potluck-Party-Link-up-87/

This post has been shared at Shine-Blog-Hop-98

This post has been shared at Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop #112

Spaghetti Squash Magic

Here's an eye-catching recipe for spaghetti squash marinara that's sure to please your senses as well as make your family, friends, or potluck crowd jump to their feet and applaud (this post has been updated 9/13/17).

Spaghetti Squash, Create Magic in a Casserole Dish

The other day I wanted to have pasta, but discovered long ago that eating semolina (a form of wheat that most pasta is made from) makes me feel bloated or sleepy or both. Some might say I have a gluten allergy, but I like to call it gluten sensitivity. I know what's good for me to eat and what isn't. I'm in tune with my body and my body is in tune with me. 

Anyway, as luck would have it, I spotted this fresh organic spaghetti squash on sale at my local Market. Yahoo. I couldn't wait to get it home.

Since there was going to be just the 2 of us (hubby and me) for dinner, I decided to cook the whole squash, string it, but transform only enough of it (2 days' worth) to make a Meatless Monday meal and Fun Tuesday meal. On the first day I served it for dinner. The following day I presented it at lunch and got rave reviews. The real reason I know it was good, was because my hubby wanted to eat it two days in a row and wanted two helpings each time.

Now on to My (Nancy A's) Recipe for Spaghetti Squash Marinara

Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash

sufficient water to coat the bottom of a baking pan and have the level of water come up  1/2 inch when the squash is placed inside on its side

salt, pepper, and mixed seasoning of your choice to sprinkle on the squash, after it is stringed

ingredients for my homemade marinara mushroom tomato sauce are provided at this link. best recipe for homemade marinara sauce

nutritional yeast to sprinkle on after it's all ready (I buy a brand fortified with B-12) and use it for its good taste and nutritional value

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the outside of the squash under cool water (use a vegetable brush to scrub dirt off). Put squash in a baking pan on its side. Pour in enough water to come up 1/2 inches so squash doesn't burn while it roasts.

2.Pierce the squash in a few places with a fork, so it releases any trapped air. This avoids having it explode, while it cooks in the oven. I cook all squash uncut, because I find it's hard to cut it in half or remove peel. No need to peel it. You can string it without removing peel.

3. Roast the squash whole, anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how large it is. You'll know the squash is ready, when its skin starts to turn light brown and the fork you use to pierce it goes in easily. If you cut it open and it's hard to string it, don't hesitate to cook it for a few more minutes.

4. Slice the squash lengthwise like the photo below indicates. Remove pulp and seeds by scooping them out with a spoon or knife. 

5. Take a fork and string the cooked spaghetti squash like I did in the photo below. 

6. When half the squash was prepared, I put the strings of spaghetti squash into a casserole dish and mixed in the marinara sauce. I made my own marinara sauce and let it simmer on the stove top while the squash cooked in the oven (use ingredients mentioned in the link above). After both parts of this recipe were cooked properly, I combined them and reheated it. I served each portion with a little bit of nutritional yeast sprinkled on top. Here's what it looks like both as a lunch and dinner main dish idea.

I portioned out the remaining squash into freezer containers (without sauce) and put the containers into the freezer. 

Cooked and Stringed Spaghetti Squash in Casserole Dishes

Next time I want to serve it, I'll defrost and heat as much as I need. It can be used as a quick fix veggie or added to soup for its nutritional benefits and texture. Another way to mix it up is to incorporate the spaghetti squash into a simple sauté, one made from a clove of minced garlic, a teaspoon of organic olive oil, and fresh chopped basil or other fresh herbs like oregano, tarragon, or cilantro. Perhaps you'd rather top the spaghetti squash with Arrabiata (spicy) Sauce or Primavera (loaded with fresh veggies like carrots, red pepper, peas, string beans, onions) Sauce. Use any extra tomato mushroom marinara sauce on string beans, in soup, veggie chili, or any time you want good taste and added antioxidants.

Squash is so versatile and economical. You'll probably be surprised at how many ways you can fix it. Cooked and stringed spaghetti squash keeps well for a few weeks or even months in the freezer. Once defrosted, it tastes yummy, prepared as I mentioned above.

Plain cooked spaghetti squash contains only 42 calories per cup. That's much fewer calories than regular pasta (220 calories per cup). It's low in saturated fat, very low in cholesterol and a good source of Niacin, Vitamin B-6, Pantothenic Acid (B-5), Potassium and Manganese, and a great source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.

Have you ever made spaghetti squash? If not, are you inspired? If you've cooked spaghetti squash before, how did you prepare it? Please share your comments, questions, and get social with me. I'd love to hear from you.

The quote for today is:

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.  (Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story)" Quote listed at 
She Cooks He Cleans

Before I go I'd like to wish you all a Joyous Holiday Season and 

Many Blessings in the New Year! 

Now and throughout 2016 reach out to others. Your kindness

will light up the world.

Check out my Facebook Page to Get More Tips for Good Eating and Wellness Here .

This post has been shared at The-Healthy-Happy-Green-and-Natural-Party-Blog-Hop-93/

This post has been shared at Brag About it Link Party

This post has been shared at Friendship Friday Blog Party and Social Media Boost 204

This post has been shared at the Healthy Living Link Party #42 and is was selected as a feature post 

This post has been shared at Real Food Fridays # 119

This post has been shared at Share the Wealth Sunday Blog Hop 36