Avocados, a fruit or a vegetable? The avocado is quite frequently mistaken for a vegetable, but it is in fact a fruit. It contains iron and magnesium and folate and is a good source of potassium, dietary fibre, lutein, and vitamins C., E., and B6.

They do have one major drawback in the fact that they are high in calories with 85% of those calories coming from fat. In fact it has more calories and fat than any other fruit.

The good news is however that the fat in avocados is monounsaturated and does not increase blood cholesterol levels. The fat is in the form of oil and Avocado oil is similar in nature to the oil found in olives.

Avocados also contain a plant sterol called beta-sitosterol which is a substance that can help to prevent cholesterol being absorbed by the small intestine, and an antioxidant called glutathione that may help offer protection against several cancers.

Because of its rough alligator appearance type skin avocados are also known as alligator pears. They only ripen once they are removed from the tree, and then they ripen within a few days.

The avocados rich buttery flavour and smooth texture makes them a great complement to salads and sandwiches, and is suitable for infants from six months old.

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by David Jones

One Year my parents gave my wife and I several bags of apples from a local orchard. Most of them were Golden Delicious and we were instructed not to cook with these,”..they are for eating only.”. When we arrived home my wife’s Grandmother stopped by and spotted the bags of apples. She said “Would you like me to make a pie with those?”. We instantly responded YES! The pie was incredible! So, here it is:

APPLE PIE RECIPE

5 or 6 apples

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

1/2 stick of butter or margarine (optional)

2 TBSP flour (optional)

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 frozen pie crust

Peel and cut up apples into small pieces. Put apples in a bowl of water and lemon juice to keep from turning brown and to keep fresh. In a separate bowl, mix sugars, flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add about half of the sugar mixture to the apples. Add softened margarine (optional).

Stir all together. Pour apples into frozen 9 inch pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 1/4 hours. After the pie starts cooking for about 20 minutes add the rest of the sugar mixture and baste apples every 20 minutes.

About The Author
David Jones More recipes are available free at http://www.VirtualeMedia.com. Also check out http://www.GeminiMalls.com for your Christmas shopping convenience.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Jones

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This is another family recipe handed down across the generations. It is a delicious, moist fruit loaf that is a wonderful accompaniment to a cup of tea, or coffee.

It’s almost foolproof to make, and I made this myself at my first ever attempt at baking when I was about 12 years old, and the result was perfect. You can’t really go wrong with it.

The fruit content is largely a personal choice based around mixed peel and glace cherries. You are free to add your own proportions of currants, sultanas, and raisins, if you like them or just stick to mixed peel and cherries.

The result is a wonderfully moist tasty fruit experience that will have you reaching for another piece. It is also one of those recipes you may not want to pass on when your friends start complimenting you, after all – some secrets are not meant to be shared.

4 oz butter
4 oz sugar
8 oz self raising flour
2 eggs (medium sized)
¼ pint of whole milk
8 – 12 oz mixed fruit (glace cherries, mixed peel and your choice)

Cream the butter and the sugar, and gradually add the other ingredients. You end up with quite a sticky mix, which you place into a greased and bottom lined loaf tin (of about 2lb size).

Bake in a preheated oven at 160º or 325ºF for between 1 ½ - 1 ¾ hours. Test with a skewer or a fork and if nothing sticks, then it is ready. It is normal for the
loaf to fissure long ways up the tin during baking.

Delicious.

Tags: fruit cake, fruit loaf, fruit loaf recipe, victorian fruit loaf



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