What is the "Dirt" on Lucuma Powder?

Hello everyone! I hope each one of you are having an amazing Saturday! The weather is a little warmer than I would like, but it is still beautiful! Do any of you have some amazing plans for the weekend?

For a few years now, I have been using Lucuma powder in various items. I use it in my smoothies, oatmeal, baked goods, etc. 

What is Lucuma? Lucuma are cool weather drought-resistant trees native to Peru, Chili and Ecuador. This yellowish green fruit containing a starchy yellow-orange flesh, is know as the Gold of the Incas in ancestral times.  This fruit powder is amazing in so many thing because of its maple to caramel like flavor. 

The sweet flavor it adds, without causing blood sugar levels to spike is why this powder is gaining more popularity. This sweetener is perfect for diabetics and people with other health issues. 

Lucuma has:

Vitamin C which may function as an antioxidant as well as contribute to healthy immunity and bone health
Magnesium which may contribute to normal bone health and immunity
Calcium which may assist in supporting strong bones
Potassium which may help maintain normal blood pressure in combination with a low sodium diet

I personally use Sunfood's Lucuma powder. Sunfood offers amazing raw products and the quality is always superb.

Sunfood

 Yesterday, I made a raw chocolate cheesecake and almond butter cups sweetened with this tasty health beneficial sweetener. 

Carrot Dirt Raw Cheesecake

If you have not tried Lucuma before, you should! 

Until next time, have a blessed day!
JP

Cranberry Love

Hello everyone! I hope each one of you are having a magnificent day!

Each week Carrot Dirt has started selling an organic produce that is hard to find in stores (at least in Fort Smith, Arkansas). This week we have deep burgundy, antioxidant-rich cranberries.

Carrot Dirt

Personally, I adore cranberries. I love everything about them. I love their color, firm texture, how they pop after being simmered for cranberry sauce and their beneficial health benefits. 

So what is the "dirt" on cranberries? The Latin name for the cranberry plant is Vaccinium macrocarpon  and is one of the native fruits of North America. This fruit is FULL of phytonutrients and antioxidants providing protection against the problems that develop with age. They also protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Cranberry

Cranberries are a super-food we should consume all year round. Stop by and grab some! Sealed tightly in a plastic container they will last for 2 months in the refrigerator. 

Until next time, have a blessed day!

JP

Favorite Time of Year

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds each one of you doing wonderful. It is officially my FAVORITE time of year. The weather is getting cooler (humidity is lower), mums and pumpkins are out on display for all to see and Christmas is right around the corner. My husband thinks I get overly excited about mums and pumpkins and he may be right, but it is perfectly fine because the heart needs excitement. Finding excitement and joy in the little things is what life is all about.

One item on my bucket list is to go to the huge mum and pumpkin display Germany has every year. I mean seriously, who could deny the pure beauty and joy of these pictures? 

"The Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival typically displays more than 400,000 pumpkins each year, arranging them to create larger than life sculptures based on a particular theme."


400,000 pumpkins!!! Can you imagine seeing this in real life? I can not wait till that day comes!

Photo

Mum photo

Speaking of Fall, at Carrot Dirt, we are currently serving our fall juices and nut-milk. The juices are: Autumn Harvest packed full of squash, apple, and cinnamon and Sweet Roots full of pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot and ginger. Pumpkin Patch is our pumpkin almond milk. Yes, that is right, pumpkin almond milk! Organic activated almonds, blended with pumpkin, clovers, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Trust me, it is delicious as it sounds. You can not go wrong with pumpkin, especially when it is 100% organic & healthy! Pumpkin Patch is perfect by itself, in coffee, and baked goods! Recently, I made some vegan waffles with this almond milk and they were a huge hit! 

Carrot Dirt Fall 2014

Carrot Dirt Fall 2014

Carrot Dirt has been open for just over 5 months and we are SO grateful for all of our wonderful customers who have supported us. Seriously, thank you from the bottom of my heart! 

Until next time, have a blessed day!!

JP