ArcaMax

Memorial Day was always a fun holiday at my house. As a kid, I always remember the day to be sunny and not too cold. I’m sure that was not the case every year, but my memory holds that weather report on record anyway.

One of the other things I will always remember about Memorial Day is kittens. Spring always brought a fresh batch of furry babies into our world and coincidentally, on Memorial Day they’d always be just old enough to take them out and let them play on the lawn. They were about 6 or 7 weeks old. Probably not ready to really hit the big time but in those days, once the kittens were able to eat without “mom” and use a litter box they were ready to find a new home.

In those days, we used to give away the kittens to good homes...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Patriotic Cherries

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:
Lemon Mousse Torte
Berry Pie Filling

This is a ZReduction recipe.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to buy the cherries that are packed in water and not the ones packed in syrup. You are looking for pie cherries. They are called Montmorency cherries. Bing cherries and Queen Anne Cherries are much more sugary and much higher carb. To make this dish “patriotic’ all you need to do is add blueberries and you have a red and blue dessert. You don’t need to feel left out of the holiday celebration just because you’re on a diet. Yours will be just as colorful and tasty as anything else being served.

Servings: Serving size 1/2 cup, cooked

Ingredients:

2 cans of TART (Montmorency) cherries packed in WATER only (you can also use fresh or frozen Montmorency cherries)
½ cup of fresh blueberries
2 Tbl of cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup of water
2 tsp of organic vanilla
4 tsp Truvia
½ – 1 tsp of almond flavoring

Instructions:

Put the ingredients in a pan and bring to a low boil, stirring often. If you use fresh cherries you’ll need to add a cup of water to make up for the liquid in the can. Boil at a slow bubble until the cornstarch kicks in and you get a thick sauce. Stir often. Just like pie filling in a can. Tastes just like the pie filling. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. The color will be more pale because you will not be pouring in a bunch of red dye. You don’t need those chemicals in your system.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola