Health Awareness Chewy Raspberry Apple Granola Bars

Raspberries are amazing little things....

When our berries start coming on you can always find us sneaking off to the field to graze for a bit. You can tell we are working REALLY hard around here! All joking aside raspberries are a power house of benefits for our bodies. Generally speaking raspberries are a great brain food, support hearth health, can provide cancer prevention, diabetes management, are a detox and help with disease prevention, and they help your eyes. 

For more information about raspberries check out these links:

What are the health benefits of raspberries?
What's New and Beneficial About Raspberries
Benefits of Raspberries

We found this recipe and gave it a our own twist, we hope you all enjoy! 

Chewy Raspberry Apple Granola Bars 

Inspired from Amy's Healthy Baking

Ingredients:

1 tsp coconut oil, melted

½ c unsweetened applesauce, room temperature

1/3 c skim milk

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 ½ c old-fashioned oats

1 c fresh or frozen SVO raspberries, diced

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oil and applesauce until smooth. Mix in the milk, honey and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Stir in the oats until evenly coated with the applesauce mixture. Gently fold in the raspberries.
3. Press the oat mixture into the prepared pan, and bake at 350°F for 16-19 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing into 10 bars.

Notes: 

*For a vegan version, substitute your favorite non-dairy milk and agave in place of the honey. 

*It’s important for the applesauce to be at room temperature to prevent the melted coconut oil from re-solidifying. 

*For best storage results, tightly wrap each individual bar in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

*For the sweet tooth's out there, we also tried melting our favorite organic chocolate and drizzling on top, think like a chewy bar, and the results were YUM! (1 cup worked best for us!)

February 2015 Updates

We have had quite a busy month here on the farm!

While we are still busy finishing up pruning our berries and are ready for the spring, we will start feeding our plants. Bob gave a talk to students at OSU this past month. We hope to make this available on our site very soon for those of you interested. We will be posting updates to our Facebook page with any new information about developments in that regard. 

Last month you might have noticed we tried something new for our newsletter layout and had a great response. Which is great! Thank you to all new subscribers and an even bigger thank you to all of our old subscribers! Keep an eye out for more simple changes we have coming to Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter in this coming year. It’s going to be a great 2015! 

Office Hours  Our office hours are still set to Winter, we are open Monday to Friday 10 am to 4pm Pacific time.  Up Coming Events In February If your near or live in Eugene, OR we are happy to say we will be doing some demos in your neck of the woods. For full details and updates, see our Facebook page under “events.” This is a great chance to come out learn about our products and get some tasty samples of products you might have not tried yet. February 8, 2015: Sundance Natural Foods, 12pm -4pm February 13, 2015: Wynant’s Family Health Foods, 12pm-3pm February 13, 2015: Friendly Street Market, 4pm-6pm

Better Shipping Rates are Still Available!  Have a hankering for some delicious frozen berries, but don't want to pay an arm and a leg in shipping? We have great news! We are still able to ship by ground for our frozen berries! If your interested please give us a call at 541-752-0460 to place your order. We are unable to offer better shipping rates through our website, so you need to call us. This offer also excludes Alaska and Hawaii, sorry guys.

“A Very Lovely February”  Check out this months Pinterest board which features fun valentines day ideas for treats, decor, and healthy alternatives! Click here to go to Pinterest. While your there follow our boards and our page, we love sharing all our great finds with all of you!  Strawberry Cream Cake from Pretty, Simple. Sweet. Ingredients Cake: 1 1/4 cups (170g/6oz) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/56g) butter 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cup (200g/7 oz) granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Whipped Cream: 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream 1/2 cup cream cheese or mascarpone cheese 1/4 cup granulated or powdered sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract About 1 pound/450g fresh strawberries, cut into halves or quarters Instructions Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Grease 2 8-inch pans (read note if you have only one pan) and line the bottoms with parchment paper for easy release later on. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine butter and milk over medium heat just until butter is melted. Do not let it boil. In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk eggs on high speed until combined and starting to foam, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and keep whisking until tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to medium-low and add warm milk mixture into the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. Add flour mixture in 3 additions and fold by hand using a rubber spatula just until combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pans and smooth the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cake springs back when slightly touched and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert the pan onto the rack. Let cool completely. Without filling, cakes can be wrapped airtight and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for 2 months. For the whipped cream: In a mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk heavy cream with sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Avoid overbeating. Assembling the cake: Set one cake layer on a plate. Arrange about half of the strawberries in a single layer on top. Evenly spread 1/3 – 1/2 of the whipped cream over the strawberries, leaving a small border around the edge. Top with the second cake layer, this time spreading the whipped cream first and layering the strawberries on top. Cake can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. *If you have only one cake pan, scrape all batter into it. It will need more baking time. Once completely cooled, cut in half. If you refrigerate it first, the cake will be firmer and easier to cut. *You can also make a 2-layer 6-inch cake with the same amount of cake batter. Bake in 2 6-inch pans for 30-35 minutes. You’ll need less whipped cream and strawberries. Raspberry Lemonade Slice from Lick The Spoon Ingredients Crust: 9 tbsp butter 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup flour  1 tsp vanilla essence pinch of salt Filling:  2 1/2 cups frozen raspberries, thawed 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup lemon juice (about 3-4 medium lemons) zest of 3 lemons 3 egg whites 1 egg 2/3 cup flour pinch of salt, extra Directions Preheat the oven to 180C. Line and grease a 8x8 inch square baking dish. To make the crust, cream together butter and sugar until light. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and mix until combined well. Do not over mix as this can make the base tough. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just golden brown. Remove from oven and cool. To make the filling, place all thawed raspberries in a fine sieve and press them into a large bowl with the back of a spoon. Discard the caught seeds and skin. Add the sugar, juice, zest, whites, egg, flour and salt and combine, until well incorporated. Pour the raspberry mixture onto the base and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool on the bench before placing in the refrigerator to set completely (about 3-4 hours) Cut and decorate as desired. NOTES: This slice freezes well and makes a great dessert or afternoon tea to have handy for unexpected guests or dinner parties.

September Updates: Hello Fall!

We had a great fresh season this year! Our U-Pick has never been so busy! We want to thank everyone who came out and made that possible, we truly appreciate your continued business and support.

Since our stand out front has closed we are now operating on our Fall & Winter hours. We will be open from Monday to Friday 10 am to 4 pm. We currently have frozen blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. We expect to have blackberries in a couple of weeks.

This month on our blog you can find great healthy back to school snacks for kids to pack in their lunches, the journey to being a certified organic farm,  how we care for our farm after harvest, and the benefits that berries can have on cholesterol.

On our facebook page you can watch autumn take over our farm and enjoy the beautiful colors that happen. Our pinterest page is covered with delicious recipes that are good any time of the year.

This month save 10% of your order when you spend at least $20.00 on our website. Use code AUTUMN at check out. Valid now through September 26,2014.

Our Favorite Finds:

Overnight Blueberries & Cream French Toast Casserole

From Cookies & Cups

Serves 10

Ingredients

• Casserole
• 18 slices of white bread, day old works best
• 2 (8 oz) blocks Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen blueberries (before thawed)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 10 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• Blueberry Syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen blueberries (before thawed)
• 1 Tbsp butter

How to Make

1. Spray a 9x13 pan with baking spray.
2. Cut all the bread in the cubes. Spread half the bread in the prepared pan, pressing down slightly.
3. In bowl of stand mixer beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Drop by the spoonful the cream cheese mixture evenly on the bread layer, spreading if desired. (Spreading this is a little difficult, but I prefer it). Top with the blueberries and then the remaining bread.
4. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and maple syrup. Pour over the entire casserole. Cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
5. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
6. Remove Cling Wrap and cover with foil to bake.
7. Bake covered at 350° for 30 minutes and then remove cover and bake an additional 25-30 minutes until center is set.
8. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
9. Bluberry Syrup
10. While the casserole is baking prepare the syrup. IN a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn starch and water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it's reached a boil simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened. Add in blueberries and simmer for 10 more minutes.
11. Pour syrup over entire casserole or individual portions.

Notes

Serve immediately, or cover and store for up to 2 days, reheating before serving.

Rapberry Coconut Smoothie

From Creme de la Crumb 

Creamy dreamy raspberry smoothie made with coconut milk! Bonus: it's sugar free, dairy free, and vegan!

INGREDIENTS

• ½ - 1 cup coconut milk (depending on how thick you like it)
• 1 medium banana, peeled sliced and frozen
• 2 teaspoons coconut extract (optional)
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• optional: shredded coconut flakes, sweetener of choice, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add coconut milk, frozen banana slices and coconut extract to your blender. Pulse 1-2 minutes until smooth. Add frozen raspberries and continue to pulse until smooth.
2. Pour into your fancy schmancy serving glass, top with a couple of raspberries and a little shredded coconut, and enjoy!

Beat The Heat

Summer is in full swing and bringing the heat, especially if your having a good time out doors, or doing some yard work. Here a couple of refreshing recipes for fruity drinks to cool off with.

Dazzling Raspberry Drink (from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

·         40 oz. of frozen raspberries, thawed & drained

·         1 can (6oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

·         1 bottle (2Liters) ginger ale, chilled

Directions:

·         In 4-quart Dutch oven, cook raspberries over medium heat 10 minutes, stirring frequently; cool slightly. Push through strainer with large spoon to remove seeds. Refrigerate raspberry juice at least 2 hours.

·         In large pitcher, mix raspberry juice and lemonade concentrate. Stir in ginger ale. Serve immediately over ice.

Refreshing Raspberry Drink (from food.com) Yield: 4 Glasses

Ingredients:

·         1 1/3 Cups Red Raspberries

·         3 Tablespoons Sugar

·         ½ cup lime juice

·         2-3 cups sparkling water (or sprite if you want it a bit sweeter)

Directions:

•          Place raspberries in a medium bowl
•          Add sugar and lime juice and mash with back of wooden spoon.
•         Let sit for about 10 minutes
•          Strain mixture through fine sieve to remove seeds and set aside.
•          Fill four large glasses with ice and pour ¼ cup raspberry mixture in each glass
•          Add ¾ cup sparkling water (or sprite)
•          Stir to combine
•          Top with ½ cup sparkling  water (or sprite)

Yum! Don’t these sound delicious!?