As the cold weather sets in and snow begins to fall in New England, it feels like the holiday season is finally here. Break out the decorations and baking supplies because it’s time to start preparing! If you’re the plan ahead type, then chances are you’re starting to put together your holiday shopping list to create some delicious savory goodies for your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
This holiday, consider putting a wild spin on your traditional sides and appetizers by adding wild blueberries into the mix. Wild blues are frozen at the peak of freshness, loaded with nutrients, and bursting with a wonderfully intense blueberry taste, making them the perfect addition to any holiday treat. Let’s get cooking!
Berry Merry & Bright Holiday Bites:
1. Wild Blueberry & Rosemary Stuffed Baked Brie
Nothing screams the holidays like melted cheese and delectable holiday spices! This Wild Blueberry & Rosemary Stuffed Baked Brie appetizer is the perfect dish for guests to dive headfirst into. The creamy cheese melds wonderfully with the tanginess of wild blueberries. This appetizer promises a delightful fusion that captures the essence of holiday joy.
2. Rustic Wild Blueberry Relish with Cashew “Crema” & Crostini
Indulge in the rustic charm of the season with our Rustic Wild Blueberry Relish served over a bed of peppery arugula, velvety cashew crema, and crispy whole grain crostini. This vibrant appetizer dances with the sweet allure of wild blueberries, creating a symphony of flavors that will harmonize perfectly with your holiday spread.
3. Skinny Turkey Meatballs with Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce
Kick off a healthier holiday indulgence with our Skinny Turkey Meatballs with Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce. These guilt-free delights combine the lean goodness of turkey with the smoky notes of wild blueberries, promising a flavorful start to your festive gathering that won’t weigh you down.
4. Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potato Coins with Wild Blueberry Goat Cheese
Elevate your holiday snack game with these Roasted Cinnamon & Wild Blueberry Chickpeas, a crunchy and wholesome treat that’s both nutritious and delicious. The warmth of the cinnamon melds seamlessly with the burst of berry goodness in every crispy chickpea, creating a festive nibble that will have your guests reaching for more throughout the night.
Looking for some more holiday recipe inspiration to spice up your table spread? Visit our recipe library for some flavorful blueberry recipes, guaranteed to help you earn extra brownie points at any gathering you attend.
From everyone here at Wild Blueberries, thank you for the continuous love and support we see from you all year round. We wish you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season. May your days be filled with love, laughs, and a whole lot of wild.
For most, January 1st beckons a fresh start, but sometimes achieving those “big” resolutions can be a little bit challenging. Whether it’s setting a healthy eating goal for yourself or finding ways to get the whole family invested in putting nourishing foods on the table, consider adding Wild Blueberries into your morning routine as an easy way to treat the body and your brain better. Here are three reasons why Wild Blueberries are a great addition to your daily diet, along with some recipe suggestions to help make this change a reality.
Nourish the Noggin with Wild Each Morning
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests people can reduce cognitive decline by adopting key lifestyle changes. One of those is eating a balanced diet that is low in fat and high in vegetable and fruit consumption. There is ample research that suggests Wild Blueberries may improve cognitive function for both young and old. So, prioritize your brain health in 2020 and feed it the tastiest brain food – Wild Blueberries. All you have to do is add a healthy scoop of frozen Wild Blueberries to whatever’s for breakfast to give the whole family a better start to the day. It’s never too early to eat for brain health and it’s recommended you do so for your entire lifespan. Nourish their noggins with this easy-to-make Wild Blueberry Oat Muffin recipe that can be made ahead so you have on hand a nutritious, delicious and convenient breakfast.
Make it a Fiber Filled Day
It’s reported that in 2018, only 5% of Americans got enough fiber in their diets. Well if you’re looking for a way to up your fiber intake, Wild Blueberries are a tasty way to do just that. The Wild Blueberry skin is an excellent source of fiber – because the berries are smaller you’re getting more skin (which equals more fiber) in every serving. Plus, according to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans MyPlate, it’s important that half your plate consists of fruits and vegetables. Fill up on fiber and start your day off right with this Wild Blueberry Blast with Banana & Chia Seeds Smoothie.
Frozen for Your Convenience
Let’s face it, we’re all busy. And busy schedules mean that we’re constantly looking for options that make our lives easier. Enter: frozen Wild Blueberries. The great thing about frozen Wild Blueberries is that they are frozen with 24-hours of harvest, ensuring that taste and nutritional benefits locked in. The berry is picked locally in the U.S., frozen, and on its way to your table in less time that it takes ordinary berries to make the same journey from Chile, South America, and a variety of other places. When you pick wild it’s like eating a Wild Blueberry right out of the fields. Plus, frozen fruit is super convenient and accessible all year long, eliminating food waste. This weekend, treat yourself with these drool-worthy Wild Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes.
With 2020 right around the corner, help your family – and yourself – achieve realistic health goals. You can get a great start by adding Wild to your diet every day. Happy (almost) New Year!
We get excited about Valentine’s Day at our house! It’s all about the gifts and the homemade cards and of course….the food. We love to start the day off with breakfast in bed and then cook something special for dinner as a family.
Nothing says I love you better than a tasty homemade crumb cake. Especially if it comes from me. As a self-professed non-baker, if I’m getting my cake on, it’s a special occasion!
What I love about crumb cake is that it’s an anytime-of-day delight: perfect with coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, or a delicious dessert.
I created this recipe to please the two loves in my life on Valentine’s Day. First, as a thank you to my husband who always goes above and beyond for his favorite girls on Valentine’s Day. Second for Norah, who wants nothing more than to have cake for breakfast. I even get to please myself because I can secretly tinker with the recipe to make it a little healthier.
Since we’re a house of Wild Blueberry lovers, adding a cup into the mix is one of my “health it up” secret weapons. Normally with coffee cake you would add a layer of cinnamon sugar to the center of the cake, but I used frozen Wild Blueberries instead. This way each delicious bite is bursting with incredible Wild Blueberry flavor!
Of course it’s also nice to know that I’m sneaking in a serving of antioxidants, as well. With double the antioxidants as tame blueberries, Wild Blueberries offer a wide range of natural antioxidants that help protect against disease. Wild Blueberries are especially rich in anthocyanin, a flavonoid with potent antioxidant capacity. Highly concentrated in the deep-blue pigments of Wild Blueberries, anthocyanin is responsible for both color and powerful health protection potential.
This delicious Wild Blueberry Crumb Cake is low in sugar and super simple to make using healthy, whole food ingredients. I hope you’ll make it for someone you love!
We are getting into the holiday spirit here at Wild Blueberries, and that means it’s time for our annual holiday sweepstakes, which will run from November 14th to 28th. The theme this year is Wild Bites or bite-size appetizers and desserts made with frozen Wild Blueberries. To help you this holiday season, we’ve put together our annual Holiday E-recipe book featuring six delicious recipes from some really amazing food and nutrition bloggers that are perfect for any family or holiday gathering. We’ve also selected some WILD-ly awesome prizes for you to win throughout the two-week contest!
Entering our Wild Bites Holidays Sweepstakes is easy! Starting November 14th, you can visit our sweepstakes website and all you have to do is enter your email to win. It’s THAT simple. Everyone who enters will receive our Wild Bites Holiday Appetizer and Desserts Recipe eBook for free as a “thank you” for entering. We will also be giving away three prizes during the contest leading up to our Grand Prize Giveaway on Monday, November 28th.
Wed Nov 16th: We’re giving away a KitchenAid® Artisan Series Stand Mixer
Fri Nov 18th: You could win a Le Creuset ® Heritage Bakeware Set
Wed Nov 23rd: Winner will receive a KitchenAid® Countertop Digital Oven
These prizes will help power you through holiday cooking and baking and are perfect compliments to your kitchen. One Grand Prize winner, selected on Monday November 28th will receive an amazing holiday prep package including:
KitchenAid® Artisan Series Stand Mixer
Le Creuset ® Heritage Bakeware Set
KitchenAid® Countertop Digital Oven
NutriBullet University PRO blender, the official blender of Wild Blueberries
$1,000 gift card to Whole Foods
Celebrate the holiday season with frozen Wild Blueberries. This contest runs for only a short time – just two weeks – so don’t miss out! Check back often as we’ll share tips to help get you through the holiday craziness, stay less stressed, and keep a focused mind powered by the antioxidant-rich goodness of frozen Wild Blueberries. And with our Wild Bites e-recipe book you can fill their bellies with tasty appetizers and desserts that are tiny enough to be guilt-free.
Here in New England and Canada, hunting season has come to close, and venison has been making its debut on menus at home and in area restaurants. We recently shared a venison dish with TheUrbanMrs.com to demonstrate how an entrée that reflects our regional foods can create a flavorful pairing.
Proteins come to life when complemented by the bright, tangy complex flavors of wild blueberries, and they create an ideal flavor profile for this richly flavored dish.Even avid sportsmen admit that the secret of these Venison Medallions with Sautéed Apple Slices and Wild Blueberry Sauce is in the sauce, which combines red wine, beef broth, garlic, onion and currant jelly. It’s high on health as well: venison is particularly low in saturated fat, and wild blueberries provide powerful nutrition and antioxidants. Get the full recipe at TheUrbanMrs.com. Then, discover other delicious entrées appetizers, snacks, drinks, and sides at WildBlueberries.com to round out your holiday entertaining.
No drink has assumed such exclusive ownership of the holiday season the way eggnog has. Its beloved rich taste is suitable for high society, and no wonder. Historically, eggnog was a drink for the aristocracy, since only they had copious amounts of dairy and eggs from their expansive farms along with a way to refrigerate them. Even today, a sip of eggnog during the holidays makes you feel a little opulent.
It can also warm your cockles, thanks to its boozy embellishments. Traditionally made with liquor, eggnog can contain brandy, rum, whiskey or bourbon, or sometimes a combination of these. Alton Brown’s eggnog recipe uses only bourbon, while Martha Stewart recommends bourbon, dark rum and cognac. But non-alcoholic eggnog loses virtually nothing in translation. You don’t have to stop with drinking it, either. Eggnog is a shoe-in for holiday treats like creme brulee and bread.
However, if your familiarity with eggnog is limited to opening a carton, you don’t know real eggnog, says Time Magazine in their Brief History of Eggnog. According to the article, “Sugar-laced supermarket versions can’t hold a candle to the homemade goodness, especially since the US Food and Drug Administration permits that the drink can be made from as little as 1% egg yolk. That often borders on “milknog” or egg flavoring.”
So, if you are after the real eggnog, it is imperative that you find some farm-fresh eggs and make your own. While usually made with sugar, eggs and milk (along with some spices) some recipes use cream to make their nog even richer. Of course, calories in eggnog can be sky-high, especially with the added alcohol. If you are using cream, indulge and still be sociable without glugging an eight-ounce glass. Opt for a shot glass or espresso cup just to get the taste, then move to something else less filling. Other health-wise alternatives include using low-fat, soy, or rice milk.
Day 2: Wild Blue Eggnog
Blueberries provide the inspiration for many holiday drinks, and eggnog is a perfect foil for the festive fruit. There are plenty of ways to add the thrill of wild blueberries to your eggnog.
This recipe from epicurious.com uses frozen blues boiled and made into a puree for a wonderful blue take on the classic recipe. They recommend biscotti as a delicious accompaniment.
Other more conservative nods to blue include adding a few semi-frozen berries swirled into the glass to create a beautiful swish of blue, followed by cream topped with a few more on the top. Or, instead of a sprinkle of nutmeg, use a sprinkle of colored sugar—in blue. It’s a wonderful way to pay homage to a superfruit.
To your health!
More Eggnog Recipes
You can find just the right eggnog recipe to suit at Eggnogaholic.com.
The stockings have been hung, the cards have been delivered. Christmas morning signals, among other things, an end to the chaos. It conjures a house filled with torn tissue paper, strewn boxes, and children dressed in pajamas busying themselves with gifts. Alongside them, weary parents remind them to pause for a moment and eat breakfast.
Wild Blueberry Pancakes are made for Christmas morning. They are comforting and indulgently sweet, and they invite family members to hover around a griddle. They also require a little more time than most run-of-the-mill mornings have to give. For many, December 25th is the one chance they’ll get to sit down and share a morning meal, and pancakes in classic wild blueberry style fit the bill.
Day 4: Blueberry Pancake BreakfastThere are blitzes, coffee cakes, and scones, and all do their part to showcase this little blue fruit. But breakfast is for pancakes, after all. When it comes to delicious, the taste of those tender disks covered with syrup just can’t be replicated. Here are some options for your holiday morn:
For Day 6 of our 12 Wild Days of Blue Countdown, we offer up a favorite holiday recipe with a berry twist. Yes, it’s Chex® Mix, and while the snack may sound a little retrograde (according to their web site, the famed party mix has been popular for 50 years), it’s still undeniably good, especially given a contemporary twist. If handfuls of pretzels and cereal just don’t have enough ho ho ho, trade up with recipes like Cajun Kick, Lemon Rosemary Mix or White Fantasy Clusters – it’s not your grandmother’s party mix.
Is it health food? It is not. But with moderation rather than denial as your guide, you can use these tips to keep calories in check: cut the butter requirement in half (it won’t really affect the recipe) and trade out the nuts and replace them with baked crisps or fat-free bagel chips. Then, bulk up the carby mixture with healthy dried berries. It’s an ingenious way to cut the calories from the nuts and pretzels and improve the flavor. That’s why our Day 6 pick is a berry holiday Chex® mix that is easy, pleasing and, predictably, blue.
Day 6: Holiday Berry Party Mix
Start with this Sweet Party Chex® Mix with Berries, which offers sweet and salty in an addictive combination, and the addition of dried berries provide a glamorous zing of holiday color. Food.com has the recipe, which calls for a little brown sugar, nuts, pretzels, famous bite sized Chex® (both rice and corn), and 1 cup each of the following dried berries: cranberries, blueberries and cherries. It will make a holiday bowl superbly appetizing, at least until it’s empty.
If you’re seeking something with a little chocolate, Pillsbury offers Buckin’ Blueberry Chex® Mix, and this exhaustive list of recipes at Chex.com will have you mixing up Snickerdoodle, Muddy Buddy, and Chocolate Banana Nut before you can say Ebeneezer. Party on!
A filled punch bowl is the center of a holiday spread. It beautifies a table and acts as a destination point for guests who want to try a pour for themselves. Wild blueberries work wonderfully in punch. They are not overpoweringly sweet or sour, so they provide just the right taste with a bright, colorful look. That’s why Day 8 features wild blueberries as part of this distinctively delicious delivery system that will bowl your guests over at your holiday gathering.
Day 8: Wild Blueberry Lime Punch
This Wild Blueberry Lime Punch is the definitive holiday grog. It provides a little sparkle and a little blue. Frozen wild blueberries provide the color and taste along with woodruff syrup, a popular German syrup made from woodruff that adds a fruity taste. It can be found in a well-stocked bar.
For some fabulous alternatives, you can try out these holiday punches from Martha Stewart, which include Blood-Orange Punch, Sparkling Shiraz Punch, Lemon Drop Champagne Punch, and Mulled White-Wine Sangria. Substitute blueberry juice when the recipes calls for either cranberry or pomegranate for a unique taste that is surprisingly mellow, with the alcohol or without.
Move Over Yogurt – These Wild Blueberry Ideas Give Fruit a Whole New Meaning
“Wild blueberries? I’ll eat them with absolutely anything,” said one dyed-blue-in-the-wool Wild About Health reader. If you agree – and if by everything you mean everything, this is the post for you.
Wild blueberries lovers, these are our halcyon days. In our quest for good health, adding fruits and vegetables to our meals is high priority. Those deeply colored wild blueberries are the go-to food for enhancing our health and disease prevention efforts. They are high in antioxidants, they have a low glycemic index, and they are low in calories. They are also deliciously, complexly sweet and tangy.
As a result of the good news surrounding blueberries, specifically wild (wild offers more concentrated nutrition per berry), there’s a swell of interest in eating the fruit – but not in the traditional way. Wild blueberries are popping up in some unexpected places, and they seem to be a new mainstay in a wide array of foods, drinks, and snacks.
So, move over yogurt, step aside pancakes – we love you, but these new traditions in blues will blow your mind (without blowing your commitment to healthy eating).
7 Unusual Ways to Use Your Blues
The Blueberry Bagel Debate
A discussion of blueberry uses that are out of the ordinary must start with the Great Blueberry Bagel Debate. Loved or hated, all bagel aficionados have an opinion. On the one hand, this choice of bagel can have a tendency to be blue of hue – for some, disturbingly so. While some blueberries remain discretely nestled in the bread, others turn bagels vastly different from the expected earth tone. Depending on the maker, the blueberry bagel has been accused of being cakey, and toppings like lox and capers can seem like a difficult fit.
But for others, the delicious bagel consistency mixed with the sweetness of blues is pure breakfast food bliss, and cream cheese is the ideal pairing. It’s simply the only bagel choice for some bagel lovers, whether they have a berry affinity or not. Read more about the blueberry bagel debate. Then, go ahead and make your own homemade Blueberry Bagel, if you are so inclined.
(Nutritionally) Potent Potables
For the occasional imbiber, blueberries are a clever, inventive, multipurpose bar ingredient. Blueberries are no stranger to vodka, for example – they provide a twist to the norm with the added attraction of the “wild” mystique of their origin. Recently, jumping on the blueberry bandwagon, Hangar One announced the release of Maine Wild Blueberry Vodka. It’s a trend that may have its roots with the local Cold River Vodka, an 80-proof vodka made by steeping Wyman’s wild blueberries in alcohol for several days, then filtering it off. They use just a small amount of sugar to achieve this aromatic bouquet and subtle flavor. Try it, along with their recipe ideas, such as Blueberry Melon Martini, for yourself.
If you are looking for a unique way to use your blues, this one not only fits the bill for your kitchen, it also makes a wonderful homemade gift during the holiday season. Making blueberry vinegar is simple, and its taste and versatility pays off in spades. Blueberry Vinegar can be added to many recipes that call for vinegar to add a unique twist of flavor: try it on salads, as marinade, or have it handy to sprinkle on fish or chicken while you cook. It offers big taste at approximately 4 calories per serving, too.
This slurpable summery treat, which can also be served in winter (buy frozen wild blueberries for easy cooking), fits the bill for savory, elegant and unique. Ladle this Chilled Wild Blueberry Soup from Moveable Feasts into bowls, garnish with sour cream or crème fraîche and top with a mint leaf, and you’ve got a bowl of exquisiteness. Or try this smashing Maine Wild Blueberry Soup which calls for Pinot Noir (weigh it against Moveable Feast’s white wine) and a bit of honey.
Blueberry Swizzle Sticks
We love this idea for its creativity and for the surprising addition it provides to a drink. Wild blueberries create the basis of this swizzle stick drink stirrer that makes a fruit drink more fabulous. Assembly is simple: place blueberries on a wooden skewer and freeze. Then place them in your guests’ drinks at your next wing-ding. You can find the “recipe” here, where you’ll also find some other unique serving ideas for wild blues. They include out-of-the-ordinary notions such as crushing frozen wild blueberries into vanilla frosting to create a beautiful purple color for your cakes that amplifies the flavor and the fun. Blueberry Wine
It may not be the first thing you think of when you think of blueberries, but it’s not the last, either. Blueberry wine conjures the crush of flavorful berries and mellow, sweet subtle of flavors that makes perfect sense. If you are adept at making wine, blueberry is a particularly pleasurable option. The wine-making process can take up to several months however, so depending on your schedule, buying it might be easier.
If you are local to Maine, you might try Bartlett Winery in Gouldsboro or Blacksmith’s Winery in Casco. They both make a practice of using native fruits. Also, Maine Mead Works offers HoneyMaker Blueberry Mead made with wild blueberries and wildflower honey from Maine, which is described as having a cherry-rose color and a clean, honey-like aroma with berry notes – berry irresistible.
Hot & Spicy Sauces
This unusual marriage is made in heaven. The piquant spice of the hot pepper, matched with the sweet tang of blueberries is a taste that thrills the palate and compliments myriad foods. This hot-sweet flavor combination may sound like a one-time treat, but it can quickly become a daily delight. It works with potatoes, sandwiches, chicken, burgers, even scrambled eggs. The Sensitive Pantry has the right idea with this recipe for Blueberry Chili Hot Sauce. You can also start your culinary experimentation with this recipe from Food & Wine, or this simple, sweet Hot Spiced Blueberry Sauce that works for vanilla ice cream as well as for chicken on the barbie.
A similar taste profile can be created with a creatively unusual Blueberry Mustard, something threatening to become a table staple (see evidence here and here for starters), and no wonder. Easy to make and keep on hand for your midnight Dagwood, it’s lovely enough for a homemade Christmas gift for friends. Complete the package with your own jar and label.
Try this simple Spicy Blueberry Mustard recipe from Helium. It calls for just three ingredients: blueberries, mustard and honey…pure condiment delight.
Hungry for more?Endless Simmer will sate your appetite. They have 100 ways to use yours blues – an impressive list that we’ve referred to here before. These ideas are less unusual than they are simply fabulous. Our favorite discovery? Blueberry Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches.
