I don’t know how I’ve been so lucky, but the blackberries in my farmers market and grocery store have been HUGE. Sweet. Juicy. GIGANTIC.

A farmer explained to me that the unseasonably cool temperatures allowed the berries to stay on the vine longer, giving them more time to grow and get sweeter and plumper from the sun (when it chose to shine).

I swear to goodness, I found one berry that was almost as big as my thumb. I probably should have taken a picture, but… well, I ate it. But look at the blackberries in my muffins… ginormous, right? These aren’t mini-muffins either… they’re normal size!

Blackberries are really high in fiber (all those little seeds, you know), but low in calories. A one-cup serving is only 60-calories! They are also full of Vitamin C.

Look for blackberries that are firm, plump and glossy. Blackberries that have a deep, dark color tend to be riper and sweeter. Wash them just before you eat them, otherwise they’ll get moldy. I know this won’t be a problem, but eat your berries within a day or two.

Oh, and even though the weather blessed us with a slightly longer blackberry season, that time is almost up… so make sure you get some this weekend!

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Like this recipe? You’ll love Unbelievably Moist Mini-Pumpkin Muffins

Today is National Raspberries and Cream Day!

Please don’t confuse this momentous day of celebration with National Raspberry Cream Pie Day (that was August 1)… or National Raspberry Cake Day (that’s observed on July 31)… or National Raspberry Popover Day (long passed… May 3)… or National Raspberry Bombe Day (that’s not until next week).

(Come to think of it…who comes up with these “National Days” anyway?)

This is the day to buy pints and pints of beautifully luscious raspberries and pair them with rich, sweet cream for your own little bit of heaven on earth. Move fast because raspberry season officially ends in just a few weeks.

Raspberries are low in saturated fat and cholesterol and a great source of fiber, vitamin C and magnesium. But you won’t be thinking of that when you dive into these incredible Raspberry Whipped Cream Puffs.

I flavored the whipping cream with raspberry jam, which really makes the filling smooth and creamy (no seeds in sight but lots of raspberry flavor). You can make the puffs the day before and store them in an airtight container. Don’t fill them until just before serving so they don’t get soggy.

Now get moving! You have no time to waste…there’s another raspberry holiday right around the corner!

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If you liked this recipe, here are some more great recipes with raspberries:

Coconut Raspberry Ice Pops

Black and Red Raspberry Tarts

Raspberry Jam Cookies

Have you ever spent hours and hours cooking something deliciously marvelous on the stove only to turn your back for ONE SECOND and find it’s burned? Stuck to the bottom of the pot burned? Two-day-soak burned?

Yep. That’s happened to me, too. Notice the past tense. HAPPENED. Never will again because I’ve got a Pauli Cookware stockpot.

“What,” you say. “a pot that keeps you from burning your food?” (I’m blaming the pot… did you catch that?)

Yes… that’s EXACTLY what I’m saying.

I met Paul Scioscio, the inventor of Pauli Cookware, at the Housewares Show earlier this year. I honestly didn’t believe what he told me: I could leave a pot on the stove for hours and never have to stir or worry that its contents would burn. He sent me one and I tried it out…

Now I believe.

Pauli Cookware has a patented 7-layer commercial grade stainless steel and aluminum bottom that wraps around a hermetically sealed oil chamber. The oil heats up and distributes the heat evenly, so your food cooks without burning.

Here’s a demo:

Because of the way the pot is made, you can’t cook on high heat… that means no frying or sautéing. I thought this might be an issue when searing meat for a stew, but the bottom of the pot still gets hot enough to deliver a nice brown color.

You have to wash the Pauli pot by hand, but I don’t put my cookware in the dishwasher anyway (you shouldn’t either!). Pauli Cookware comes in 3 generous sizes: 7 quarts, 11 quarts and 16 quarts. It works on all cooktops, including induction.

I’m always looking for help in the kitchen, and for ways to avoid “operator error”… like burning something. In that regard, my Pauli Pot’s got my back!

If you’d like to order your own Pauli Pot, click on the link on my sidebar! Tell them Mama sent you! I’ll have some really fabulous recipes using my Pauli Pot over the next few months.

Yep, been on a bit of broccoli binge lately… and this Crunchy Broccoli & Bacon Salad is my latest crave.

(Sure were a lot of “Bs” in that last sentence.)

Obviously, I love broccoli.

• Not just because it provides more disease-fighting nutrients than almost any other vegetable.
• Not just because it’s loaded with both soluble and insoluble fiber… good for the heart and digestive system.
• Not just because it’s crazy low in calories.

Broccoli is my veg of choice because it pumps up the nutrition, flavor and color of almost any dish… and because there are SO MANY ways to prepare it;

• Eat it raw.
• Steam it.
• Sauté it.
• Soup it.
• Use it to dip or turn it into a dip.

Or make it into a easy-Louisey Crunchy Broccoli & Bacon Salad like I did. Keep the lemony dressing very light… you don’t want to drown the florets. I added red peppers for color, but you can throw in cucumbers or some other equally crunchy vegetable. So… have at it! This is one binge-worthy food that’s actually healthy!

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