Evernight Teen: Microwave Chocolate Drops Recipe from Sharon Marie...

Evernight Teen: Microwave Chocolate Drops Recipe from Sharon Marie...: Evernight Teen authors are serving up the sweet stuff this week. Check out this easy-peasy, no stovetop recipe for Microwave Chocolate Drop...

This really is good. Check it out!

J is for Jerky: Inventions by Women A-Z

Native Americans relied on a specially prepared meat source called jerky, long before the arrival of European settlers. Made from mostly buffalo, deer, and elk meat, dried in long thin strips, jerky was an excellent protein source over the long winter months when game was scarce. 

Traditionally, Native American women would gather the tribe's food growing in the wild, process and cook the food, tend the campsite, make the clothing, and raise the children. Men would do the hunting and fishing, tend the horses, make the tools and weapons, and defend the tribe in war. Roles overlapped of course as needed, but given their assumed roles, Native American women were very likely the inventors of jerky.

According to some sources, jerky can be traced back to an ancient South American tribe, the Incas, who were known to dry llama meat. In fact, the word jerky comes from the Spanish word charqui, which means dried, salted meat. Food drying itself in North America dates back 12,000 years, and earlier elsewhere in the world, to 12,000 B.C. in the Middle East. Regardless of where jerky originated, we can safely say it was an invented food passed down by native tribes for thousands of years. Essentially, it was a native version of "fast food."

In North America, jerky was traditionally prepared without salt, and simply dried over a hot smoldering fire for a day. Salt was added later to accommodate the tastes of the white settlers, who often traded for jerky. Fur trappers came to depend on this handy meat source that traveled well and was satisfying to eat. Another explanation suggests that some sources of salt (discovered in the 1800s) changed the gray color of dried meat to the color red, which had more eye appeal.



An interesting note regarding jerky and pemmican, which was also made by Native Americans and is sometimes referred to as the same, and just as popular with the white pioneers, there is a difference. I found two recipes online for those who might be interested:

Jerky
Ingredients: fresh meat cut into thin strips 1" wide, 5-6" long 
(lean beef, deer, elk, or rabbit)
Weave strips onto green sticks or skewers. Build a low-burning campfire and slowly dry strips over the fire. As an alternative, place strips on wire racks and dry in oven heated to 140 degrees F (leave oven door slightly ajar). To speed drying process, lightly sprinkle strips with salt. Marinating the strips overnight in soy or Worcestershire sauce adds great flavor to the finished jerky. Once dried, cool strips completely and store in cool place in airtight container.

Pemmican

Take 1 pound finely ground jerky. Add 4 tablespoons finely ground or powdered dried fruit, berries or herbs (such as sage, cherries or blueberries). Add sugar to taste if a sweet pemmican is desired. Mix in just enough lard (such as Crisco) to hold the dried ingredients together. Blend mixture thoroughly and mold into a solid block shape. Store in cool place in airtight container. Slice to eat.

Source:
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/teach/lsnplns/jerkylp.htm; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerky
http://www.indians.org/articles/buffalo-jerky.html; http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/nchfp/factsheets/food_pres_hist.html
http://www.hicountry.com/from-the-field/history-of-jerky/; http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/facts-new.html
Handbook of North American Indians: Plateau, Deward E. Walker, Jr., Smithsonian Institution, 1998.

Copyright 2015 © Sharon Marie Himsl

C is for Chocolate Chip Cookies: Inventions by Women A-Z

Few can resist the tantalizing aroma of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven on a cold wintry afternoon and that first  gooey, warm bite.

It's been estimated that the average person consumes 35,000 cookies in their lifetime, and of those, 50% are Chocolate Chip.

Did you know that it is the way the chocolate chip pieces melt individually in the dough that sets this cookie apart from all others? Did you also know that the recipe for this cookie came about by pure accident?

It all started with the purchase of an old (1709) rundown Cape Cod-style toll house* in the Boston/New Bedford area in 1930, by a young married couple named Ken and Ruth Wakefield. They used their life savings, at a time in history when others might have hesitated. It was the Great Depression. They called their new tourist lodge The Toll House Inn.
 

The Wakefield's Toll House Inn (fully restored)

[*Toll houses (inns) were popular in the 18th century and common along toll roads. Stagecoaches would stop at the inns to pay the road fee and passengers would rest awhile and dine].

Ruth Graves Wakefield (1903-1977)

Ruth, as an educated dietician and home economist, took on the cooking for the guests. The Toll House Inn restaurant flourished and became quite popular with the locals. Guests grew to love (and expect) a cookie on the menu called Butter Drop-Do Cookies . . . but that's when the accident occurred, sometime around 1937 (the actual date is still debated).

Butter Drop-Do Cookies

The recipe called for melted squares of baking chocolate, but when Ruth checked the pantry one evening, she discovered she was out. With guests waiting, and seeing some Nestle's Semi-Sweet Chocolate bars on the shelf, she decided to substitute the bars. Breaking the bars into pieces, she fully expected the chocolate to melt and blend into the dough. Well, of course it didn't, and the rest is history. The new cookie was a huge hit and was called Chocolate Crispy Cookies at first (another source claims it was called Chocolate Crunch Cookies). 

The kind of chocolate Ruth used

Word spread as the cookie gained in popularity. Meanwhile the demand for Nestles Chocolate increased dramatically, as did the company's profits. A deal was finally made in 1939 between Ruth and the owner, Andrew Nestles. Henceforth, the agreement said, Nestles would give Ruth a lifetime supply of chocolate and print the cookie's recipe on the Nestles package. Besides the great taste, it is the main reason Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies are America's most popular cookie today.  

Sadly, The Toll House Inn burned 

to the ground in 1985.  

Curious about the first recipe? 

The original recipe was printed in the Syracuse Herald-Journal in 1940, as taken from Ruth Wakefield's cookbook:

1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar [packed]
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten, whole
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon hot water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts
2 Nestle's Semi-Sweet Economy Bars (7 oz ea)
1 teaspoon vanilla

"Important: Cut the Nestle's Semi-Sweet in pieces the size of a pea. Cream butter and add sugars and beaten egg. Dissolve soda in the hot water and mix alternately with the flour sifted with the salt. Lastly add the chopped nuts and the pieces of semi-sweet chocolate. Flavor with the vanilla and drop half teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes in a 375° F. oven. Makes 100 cookies. Every one will be surprised and delighted to find that the chocolate does not melt. Insist on Nestle's Semi-Sweet Chocolate in the Yellow Wrap, there is no substitute." 


Ruth added the recipe to a revised cookbook, with this note:  

 "At Toll House we chill this dough overnight. When ready for baking, we roll a teaspoon of dough between palms of hands and place balls two inches apart on greased baking sheet. Then we press balls with finger tips to form flat rounds. This way cookies do not spread as much in the baking and they keep uniformly round. They should be brown through, and crispy, not white and hard as I have sometimes seen them."

Cookie!

Sources:
http://www.women-inventors.com/Ruth-Wakefield.asp
http://www.cooksinfo.com/ruth-wakefield
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Graves_Wakefield http://historyspaces.blogspot.com/2012/03/history-of-chocolate-chip-cookie-and.html

Copyright 2015 © Sharon Marie Himsl

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing
 

Celebrate the Small Things: Daily Pleasures

 
A long walk down 
by the lake.

A wind-free day 
when fifty-something 
felt like seventy. 

Geese flocking together on the water.

Flying in for the 'honking' convention. 





 
Killdeer following me as I walk, leading me away from their family. 

Do killdeer really nest this soon? 

Tortilla pizza lunch with friends,

A nurturing talk with my writer bud

Helping another with her new blog. 

My Recipe for Tortilla pizza

1 flour tortilla
Meat topping
1 TB Tomato paste
Vegetable toppings
Mozzarella

Spread tomato paste on one tortilla. Sprinkle with oregano and/or other Italian spices. Top with meat (try cooked chicken breast and/or sausage). Add vegetable toppings (I like green & red pepper, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and one green olive, all chopped of course). Sprinkle mozzarella over all.  Place on one lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake in 400 degree oven for 12 minutes. If tortilla isn't crisp, bake longer. It's the crispness that makes this thin crust pizza so delicious. Also, I purchase freshly made tortillas, so try to buy fresh if you can. Enjoy!


  These are the kind of daily pleasures that filled my week. The only thing that sort of went wrong was not entering the Pitch Madness contest on Monday. Since word count was an issue, I spent up to the last minute deleting words in my book, but failed to make the midnight deadline. That EST acronym blew right past me. Yep, that's right, I forgot the Eastern Standard Time zone. But maybe it's just as well. The book was flabby in places, I discovered. ~Sigh~

How was your week? 

Have a nice weekend!

Thank you Lexa Cain for hosting this blog hop!

And co-hosts: L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge  

and Katie @ TheCyborgMom

A-Z Theme Reveal: Yummy Fruits

A day late on my A-Z reveal. 

After last year 's success with Stereoviews A-Z, I wasn't sure if I could come up with anything  as entertaining and fun. Well, as is always the case in the blog world, I found something I could wrap my thoughts and (ahem) stomach around for 26 days.  

Announcing YUMMY FRUITS A-Z!

Join me in April for a bit of fun, as I choose a representative fruit (out of many!). I guarantee a Free Recipe, some fruit facts and history, songs, books, and movies with said fruit in the titles, and even a joke or two. A light-hearted way to enjoy fruit, one of my favorite foods to eat....and hopefully yours, too! For those of you who have never done the A-Z before, hold onto your computer chairs. You are in for quite a ride. See you there!! 

A is for Apple

B is for Banana

C is for Cantaloupe

D is for Durian

E is for Elephant Apple

F is for Fig

G is for Grapefruit

H is for Huckleberry

I is for Ice Cream Bean

J is for Japanese Persimmon

K is for Kiwifruit

L is for Lime

M is for Mango

N is for Nutmeg

O is for Orange

P is for Peach

Q is for Quince

R is for Rhubarb

S is for Strawberry

T is for Thimbleberry

U is for Ugniberry

V is for Vanilla

W is for Wax Jambu

X is for Xigua

Y is for Yantok

Z is for Zig Zag Fruit

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

X is for Xigua: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Xigua (Chinese watermelon)

 Okay, definitely cheating here, I admit. Xigua is Chinese for watermelon. Pronounced She-Gwah, the rind is darker (almost black) in the photo on the left, compared to watermelon I'm familiar with, but the photo below is more like the U.S. version. Black, dark green, or light green with yellow markings, all have that wonderful red, sweet flesh and look absolutely yummy. (Some varieties have orange or yellow flesh, which is sweeter yet).

Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits. 

Enjoying fresh xigua in China

China is the largest producer of watermelons in the world, next to Turkey, Iran, Brazil, and Egypt. There are 1,200 known varieties (including seedless types), and it is the most popular melon in the U.S. 

Watermelons grow on vines

Not all watermelons are edible, although in general, they have been consumed for thousands of years, and are known by different names. In Australia, one variety is still considered a "pest plant" in parts. 



The origin of watermelons can be traced to southern Africa, and there is evidence watermelons were cultivated in ancient Egypt as well. By the 10th century they were being grown in China and in the 13th century also in Europe. Historians also know that Native Americans were growing watermelons in the U.S. Mississippi valley in the 1500s. Today watermelon is grown all over the U.S., but mainly in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Arizona

1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, TN
 (1998, Guinness Book of Records)

Watermelon can be eaten in entirety, the flesh, the rind, and even the seeds (yes, even the seeds). Enjoyed as a fruit in the U.S. and elsewhere, in China the flesh and rind are eaten as a vegetable and only the seeds are considered a snack. 

Watermelon size can vary a lot, as you can see on the right. In 2013 the record was beaten by yet another man in Tennessee (Chris Kent of Sevierville), who grew a whopping 350.5 pounder! Anyone out there in Tennessee ever grow one of these giants?

Watermelon is good for us, as you might have guessed. Since it is 91% water, consider it one of the best liquid vitamin drinks around, with vitamins C, B, and A....and lycopene. Lycopene is good for our heart and may be important for bone health. High also in citruline (an amino acid), scientists are still studying the benefits, but believe it may prevent excess fat accumulation in the body (now, wouldn't that be nice?) and improve blood flow, aiding the heart. 

Watermelon seeds are also good for us. They contain iron, zinc and protein. Guess I don't have to worry about swallowing those seeds anymore. Did you ever worry about this?

Ever wonder about the ripeness of watermelon? Did you know that the riper a watermelon is, the more nutritious it becomes? I found some good tips on how to buy and store:

• When buying pre-cut watermelon, sliced or halved, make sure the flesh is the deepest color. Seeds should be dark, too, not white. 
• When buying a whole watermelon, check the weight and surface of the skin. A fully ripened watermelon will be heavy with juice. Next, check the top and bottom. The bottom is the part that was resting on the ground. If fully ripened, it will be creamy yellow in color, not green or white. Now check the top. If fully ripened, the top will look dull, not shiny.
• Thumping the watermelon also works (at least according to some). A fully ripened watermelon has a deeper, hollower, bass-like sound.
• Uncut watermelon is best stored at room temperatures 50-60 degrees F. Unfortunately, a watermelon stops ripening after it's been picked. I didn't know this. Did you?

Watermelon Recipe

"Watermelon Salsa"

3 cups finely diced seeded watermelon
1 jalapeno, seeded
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

In medium bowl, combine watermelon, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, lime juice, honey, and garlic salt. Mix well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips. 

Watermelon Jokes

Q: Why do watermelons 

have fancy weddings?

A: Because they cantaloupe!

Q: What do you call fruit that commits egregious crimes?

A: A Waterfelon!

Watermelon Song

"Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock (video)

Sources: http://www.jokes4us.com/miscellaneousjokes/foodjokes/watermelonjokes.html

http://pick-news.com/detail187097.html; http://www.dietvsdiet.com/xigua/

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/2000/heaviest-watermelon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon; http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

W is for Wax Jambu: Yummy Fruits A-Z

The color of wax jambu ranges
from pale pink to red and purple.

Wax Jambu (or wax apple) is an exotic fruit native to the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Malaysia. Common throughout Southeast Asia, it is also found in Australia, Africa, Central and South America, and the U.S. (mainly Florida and Southern California).

Wax Jambu trees grow to 35 feet.

 
Wax jambu is mostly used in Asian salads, as in a popular
Thai shrimp salad, but the fruit is also enjoyed plain. The wax-like skin makes it an especially attractive fruit sliced. 

 

Paler is sweeter

Despite its alternate name, wax apple, wax jambu does not taste like an apple, but more like a snow pear. The texture is crisp like watermelon (but less juicy), and the taste is slightly sour. Some are sweeter than others, depending on the variety. The paler the color, the sweeter it is. 

Some of the nutritional benefits are wax jambu's effectiveness against dysentery and use as a diuretic. Interestingly, it has zero vitamin C or vitamin A, although it is high in potassium and has some calcium and protein.

Have you ever eaten wax jambu?

Wax Jambu Recipe

"Wax Jambu Salsa"

4 wax jambus, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
2 chili peppers, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of ground fennel

Mix well and let sit 2 hours before serving.

Wax Jambu Music

Some nice guitar at the popular Wax Jambu Restaurant
(London - 2009) "Waiting for Breakfast" (video)

Sources: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Thai_Wax_Apple_7608.php; http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Wax_Apple; http://www.fruitsinfo.com/Wax-jambu-Exotic-fruits.php; http://www.tropicalfruit.com/Wax-Jambu-Java-Apple-tree-3-Gallon_p_185.html; http://www.thirdage.com/nc/f-127403/wax-jambu-rose-apple-edible-portion-fresh-fruit; http://www.fruitsinfo.com/Wax-jambu-Exotic-fruits.php;

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

V is for Vanilla: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Vanilla orchids bloom for one day (or less!)

Vanilla has been called the "cheese pizza of ice cream." Where would we be without this basic ingredient that flavors our favorite foods and adds ambiance to our worlds and homes with its sweet perfume? 

The vanilla bean (or pod), from which vanilla is derived, is the fruit of the vanilla orchid. It is the only edible plant in the orchid family, and only native to Mexico. It was first cultivated by Mexico's Tononac people, who in the 15th century were later conquered by the Aztecs. Legends and myths about the vanilla plant have long existed in their culture.

Vanilla plants grow on vines,
often climbing trees in wild.

The vanilla orchid has a unique
characteristic that affected its history and distribution for centuries. It can only be pollinated by Mexico's Melipone bee, and efforts to relocate this bee have never been successful. 

This was first discovered by the Spanish explorer Cortes in the early 1500s, when the plants he took back to Spain failed to produce fruit. It is the sole reason Mexico became the center of vanilla production, a monopoly that lasted for 300 years.

Edmond Albius

In 1841, a young twelve-year-old slave named Edmond Albius changed all that. He was living on a French island in the Indian Ocean at the time, and had discovered a way to hand pollinate the vanilla flower. Although labor-intensive, the technique caused a global explosion in vanilla production outside of Mexico. In fact, it became so competitive that so-called "vanilla rustlers" began robbing and fighting for world domination. 

- Vanilla plantation -
La Reunion Island, Guatemala

Today, in addition to Mexico, vanilla is grown in Madagascar, Indonesia, China, Papua New Guinea, Turkey, Tonga, Uganda, Fiji, Tahiti, Comoros, Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Philippines, and India, Madagascar and Indonesia being the two top producers.

Considered also a spice, vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world (after saffron). All is due to the labor-intensive method still required to pollinate the vanilla orchid flower, but there are other factors, too. Vanilla plants can only be grown within 20 degrees of the equator. 

Added to this, orchid flowers bloom for one day only (sometimes less), so the timing of pollination is critical! 

Vanilla beans are dried to process.
The tiny seeds inside are flavorless,
and often seen in vanilla bean
ice cream (as black specks)

It explains why vanilla is still so expensive and why 97% of vanilla used today as a flavoring and
fragrance is artificial. Imitation vanilla is made from a wood byproduct called lignin. In tastes test, most people cannot tell the difference in baked goods, but in cold or unbaked foods, they notice a difference in the taste. 

An FDA approved non-plant substitute in the U.S. called castoreum (from castor sacs of beavers, a type of scent gland) is also used. It is often referenced as "natural flavoring" on the label, and commonly used in foods, beverages, cigarettes and perfumes. Personally, after reading all this, I'm going to stick to pure vanilla when cooking at home. As for the rest, all we can really do is avoid processed foods. 

Do you use artificial or pure vanilla extract?

Vanilla comes in the following forms:

• pure vanilla extract - from beans soaked in alcohol and water
• vanilla powder - from dried pure extract or beans, pulverized
• vanilla bean - the orchid fruit (buy dark, almost black in color, and slightly moist); beans should last five years, if stored away from light and heat (do not freeze)
• vanilla sugar - sugar flavored by vanilla beans
• vanilla paste - from pure extract and bean seed in syrup 

Dried vanilla beans

Besides vanilla's use as a flavoring in foods and beverages, it is used in perfumes and medicines. In aromatherapy, it has been used to soothe nerves, to uplift the spirit, and as an aid in losing weight. Folk remedies include its use as an aphrodisiac and a treatment for fevers. 

Vanilla Recipes

"Easy Vanilla Sugar"

 
Fill large jar with sugar. Break up vanilla bean into three pieces. Press into the sugar and let sit for several weeks.

"Yummy Vanilla Custard"

2 cups milk

1 vanilla pod (bean)

3 eggs

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 cup stiffly whipped cream

--In heavy saucepan, add milk and vanilla pod. Heat to under boiling point and remove from burner. (Wipe vanilla pod dry and store. You can use again another time)

--In medium bowl, beat eggs until lemon-colored. Pour small amount of hot milk over eggs, stirring constantly. 

--Add mixture to remaining milk in saucepan and cook, stirring constantly over low heat for 20 minutes (until thick). Remove from heat, stir in sugar. Let cool. Then fold in whipped cream gradually.

(Note: one teaspoon vanilla extract can be substituted for vanilla pod. Add to sauce after removing from heat. Use as sauce or custard.  

Vanilla Joke

Vanilla Books


--Pure Vanilla: Irresistible Recipes and Essential Techniques 
by Sauna Sever and Leigh Beisch (2012)


--Vanilla Orchards: Natural 
History and Cultivation 
by Ken Cameron (2011)


--I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World  by Marguerite Wright (2000)

--Vanilla: Travels in Search of
the Ice Cream Orchard 
by Tim Ecott (2005)

Vanilla Movie

--Vanilla Sky (2001) (trailer)

starring Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz, 

Cameron Diaz and Kurt Russell

Vanilla Song

--Vanilla Twilight by Owl City (2010)

Sources: http://www.beanilla.com/vanilla-faqs/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla; http://vanilla.servolux.nl/vanilla_history.html; 
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/desserts/a/Vanilla.htm; 

U is for Ugniberry: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Ugni shrubs are 3-15 feet tall.
Berries are 1 cm in diameter.

Ugni (also known as Chilean guava or strawberry myrtle) is an
evergreen shrub native to Chile, Argentina, Central America, and southern Mexico. The ugniberry is quite edible and tastes like a spicy strawberry. It is often used as a replacement for strawberry flavoring in processed foods. 

There are ten species of this shrub. In New Zealand it is called "New Zealand Cranberry," and in Australia, "Tazziberry," however neither are native to the region. The shrub is smaller than the taller South American version. 

Juan Ignacio Molina
1740-1829

Historically, ugni shrubs were first described in 1782 by a Chilean Jesuit priest, Juan Ignacio Molina, who was also a botanist and naturalist, among other, and later a professor of natural sciences in Italy. His writings were the first to describe the natural history of Chile. Molina's contribution to science also explains the complete name of this plant - Ugni molinae.

Ugnifruit was then introduced to England in 1844 and became a favorite fruit of Queen Victoria. It was also enjoyed as an ornamental plant, prized for its flowers and evergreen foilage. The ugni flower is quite beautiful with its drooping pale pink petals. 

Ugni Matador Liqueur

Today the fruit is used on a rather small scale in New Zealand, Australia....and Chile, where traditional Matador liqueur is made. The fruit is also used to make jams, cakes, and other desserts, and eaten fresh or added to salads.

The popularity of this berry is growing. Some claim it has five times the taste of a blueberry, so home gardeners are beginning to plant this shrub more, as it does well in most soils. The only catch is probably the climate. Ugni shrubs thrive best in a subtropical, temperate climate, although they can handle light frost and withstand some dry conditions. I would love to see a variety that could be grown in the Pacific Northwest, east of Washington's Cascade range where I live.  

Do you grow this shrub? Do you eat the berries?

Cake with ugniberries

Nutritionally, ugniberries are high in dietary fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Native people used this berry to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and urinary tract pain. Antioxidant levels are comparable to blueberries, but information is sketchy, as studies appear to be ongoing. 

Ugni Recipe

"Ugniberry Oatmeal Muffins"

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ugniberries

Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

Directions:

--In medium bowl, mix together oats and buttermilk. Let stand 5 minutes. Add oil, brown sugar, egg and mix.

--In second bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir flour mixture into batter and fold in berries. Grease muffin tins with vegetable oil. 

--Fill tins 3/4 full and sprinkle tops with extra rolled oats. Bake 20-25 minutes, until centers are cooked. Remove from oven, cool ten minutes on rack, and remove from tins. Yield: 8 muffins. 

 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ugni; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Ignacio_Molina

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/newsletter/october2001.htm; http://www.edible.co.nz/fruits.php?fruitid=18