Berry Good

August already? Time sure flies. Next week I’ll be headed to Chicago for the Healthy Living Summit and cannot wait to meet all the other food blogger’s, and of course tour the Windy City, eat good food, and enjoy what’s left of my summer.

Thought I’d share some pictures of the last banquet we held at work. It was fun being in charge of dressing up the place a bit. I liked the idea of black and white decor—it’s always classy. And I got a little lesson on decorative napkin folding which was quite interesting.

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So I was looking back at blog posts, and realized I haven’t featured one single recipe containing my favorite summer berry—the blueberry! I know, I almost started panicking, and realized I haven’t even eaten many and their season is slowly coming to an end. So what does that mean? Well, just expect a few more blueberry recipes in the next coming weeks—definitely not a bad thing! Not only are they sweet, juicy, and delicious, they also provide a lot of health benefits. Check it out…

• Blue berries are an excellent source of Vitamin C—a serving contains 25% of your daily requirements.
• Blueberries are a good source of dietary fiber.
• Blueberries are an excellent source of manganese.
• Blueberries contain substances that have antioxidant properties—the highest capacity of any fresh fruit.
• Blueberries neutralize free radicals which can halt disease in an aging body.
• Blueberries can aid in reducing belly fat.
• Blueberries help promote urinary tract health.
• Blueberries have been proven to preserve vision.

So since blueberries are so healthy, I figured it’s ok to pair em’ with my favorite not-so healthy food, cheesecake. But wait..not totally unhealthy—one slice will cost you just 116 calories if you stick with my Fiber One pie crust =)

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 Fiber One pie crust (recipe here), or pre-made graham crust
• 1 pint fresh blueberries—rinsed well
• 8 oz fat-free cream cheese
• 2/3 c Splenda or other calorie-free sweetener
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c eggbeaters
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 F
• Beat cream cheese, 1/3 c Splenda , and vanilla until fluffy. Add in egg and eggbeaters—add lemon juice.
• Bake 25-30 min or until top begins to crack.
• Meanwhile, combine blueberries, water, 1/3 c Splenda in small saucepot—bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch and water together until no clumps remain. Add into blueberry mixture and stir until thick. Take off heat.
• Pour on top of cheesecake layer and chill for 4 hours or overnight.

Makes 6 servings

What’s your favorite way to eat blueberries?