Berry Cobbler

To contrast the gloom outside, I’ve decided it’s time for some pictures! I stocked up on berries a few weeks ago when I found a good sale, so I just pulled them out of the freezer for this recipe. Not only is this recipe super easy, but using frozen berries incorporates Nutrition Month tips too. J

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

2 pints strawberries 1 pint blueberries 1 cup sucralose/Splenda 1 Tbsp cornstarch ¾ cup flour 1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt 1 egg ¼ cup skim milk ½ tsp vanilla extract 4 Tbsp margarine, melted

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, combine all berries, 1/3 cup + 2 tsp sucralose/Splenda, and cornstarch. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, ½ cup sucralose/Splenda, baking powder, and salt. In a third bowl, stir egg, milk, vanilla, and butter. Add dry ingredients. Stir well.

3. Evenly place berries in a 9x9” baking dish. Top with batter. Bake 25-30 minutes until tops are golden brown.

To change it up, try picking a variety of fruits. If you’re hosting or trying to portion size, divide the berries and batter into small ramekins. 

Enjoy!

Adapted from Sue Zemanick’s Cobbler.

Budget-Friendly Grocery Shopping

Here are some ideas to help keep your grocery bill close to nil. ;)

1. Shop the sales- Check flyers and coupons. You can even find these online these days! 

2. Stock up when there’s a great deal- Buy extra staple items that have long shelf lives, such as whole grains, dried legumes, and canned fruits and veggies. Fresh meat, poultry and fish can be frozen. 

3. Don’t forget the clearance section

4. Compare prices- Check for differences between various brands. Store or “no name” brands are usually cheaper. 

5. Avoid shopping on an empty stomach- You’re more likely to pick up extra items when you’re hungry! 

Adapted from: Dietitians of Canada (www.dietitians.ca)

Happy Nutrition Month!

Can you believe it’s March already?! The focus of this year’s Nutrition Month campaign is Best Food Forward: Plan Shop Cook Enjoy, which focuses on navigating the grocery store (a place where we’re all faced with an abundance of choices!).

Here are some tips on shopping for just one or two people.

1. Plan wisely- Plan ahead so you know what you’ll be eating and can make a grocery list before you head to the grocery store.

2. Cook from scratch- This way you can prepare the exact number of servings you need.

3. Shop in bulk- But remember to only buy items that you need.

4. Shop as a team- Grocery shop with a friend so you can split bulk items and take advantage of volume discounts (think ‘buy one get one free’) while avoiding waste.

5. Buy only what you need- Try splitting a bunch of bananas (they always seem to go brown so fast!), buying smaller packages of eggs, and asking the butcher to split packages of meat.

6. Be wary of coupons- This tip aligns with #3 & 5… it’s only a deal if you actually need what you’re buying!

Adapted from: Dietitians of Canada. (2013) http://www.dietitians.ca/Downloadable-Content/Public/NM2013_Factsheet_1_Englsih_C.aspx