It's not a stretch to state that I like snacking. Really, who doesn't? Food just goes hand in hand with so many activities, it's hard not to have it on the brain constantly. Because I strive to live a healthy life and set a good example for my children, I've done away with most of the unhealthy eats in my home, making sure I have lots of fresh fruits and veggies on hand for when we need a little something to munch on throughout the day. I love, love, love fresh fruit and try to keep a few pints of seasonal fruits in my fridge at all times, but now that the cooler temps are creeping in, finding things like blueberries and cherries is not only going to get more difficult, but also more costly too. Thankfully, I've found a great solution to help me get my seasonal fruit fix in even when I can't find it in the produce section. Stoneridge Orchards offers amazingly delicious dried fruit options year round, so you can have your seasonal fruit and eat it too.
Stoneridge Orchards' organic dried fruits are carefully picked, hand-selected, and dried into all-natural goodness. Select from Montgomery cherries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and cranberries for sweet snacking without the guilt. Or, if you do need a little extra sweetness in your snacking routine, a few of the rich dark chocolate or creamy Greek yogurt covered berries will send you into sweet tooth bliss.
I like to grab a small handful here and there to satisfy my sweet cravings, but dried fruit is an awesome addition to for your recipes too! I love using the Montgomery tart cherries in my baked goods because they are plump and delicious and pack a lot of flavor into each bite.
You could even jazz up a salad and toss in a bit of the dried fruit. My favorite way is in a blueberry pecan salad. I just use my favorite greens, then add in a few pecans and a handful of dried blueberries, finished off with a light vinaigrette dressing and I'm all set. Yum!
Or, if you are looking for a quick and easy dessert option, make a simple 2 ingredient blueberry bark.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Melt a package of white melting chips according to package directions. Pour melted mixture onto a wax paper, spreading with the back of a spoon into an even layer. Sprinkle on desired amount of the Stoneridge Orchards dried blueberries. Place baking sheet into the fridge to allow the bark to set. Once hardened, break into bite sized pieces. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and use within 1 week.
The recipe options are endless with Stoneridge Orchards dried fruits. Be sure to check out their website for more recipe inspiration. Stoneridge Orchards dried fruits are all-natural, GMO-free, and kosher certified. You can find them in food retailers nationwide.
What kind of recipes do you think would work best with dried fruits?
I am a huge snacker, so I need to try some of these. I love easy snacks like this that I can grab and go if need be.
ReplyDeleteEasy snacks are where the party is at! Especially all-natural organic ones like these!
DeleteWhat awesome snacks. We are all trying to eat healthier so these dried fruits sound like a great way to satisfy all those cravings and avoid unhealthy things.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The chocolate covered ones let you have a little extra sweetness without a lot of guilt, too!
DeleteThose look so good! I know I'm going to be in the minority here, but... I really love fruitcake. Like, a lot. I think they'd go perfectly in a good fruitcake.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are definitely in the minority there lol. I tried a bite once and had to wash my mouth out with chocolate afterwards ;)
DeleteOMG I have a feeling I ended up in sweet heaven itself! Annzie has once sent me them chocolate covered cherries and blueberries and I can confirm they're made of dreams :)
ReplyDeleteSadly we don't have dried blueberries nor cherries here, mostly raisins, prunes, maybe some dried apricots... nothing interesting. I know blueberries are extremely expensive and you need a kilo of them dry for a box of tea, so they put just 4% of them into tea bags, even the biggest world tea producers.
The bark is something I'd thoroughly enjoy, especially with them berries! I'd only pure them into silicone muffin moulds for a tidy round shape. I sometimes do that with peanuts sprinkled on top or cinnamon.
This is one of my fave ever posts of yours!
I can usually get fresh blueberries really cheap here during the summer, so when they go on sale, I buy a whole bunch and freeze them for when I can't locate them cheap during the fall and winter months. I did buy some blueberry tea a few months back and was so disappointed with the weak blueberry flavor. I'll just strain my own mashed juices in from now on.
DeleteI can't find any great fall silicone molds locally this year. We went to the craft store and I went back and forth over one, but ultimately left empty handed. It did have some fun acorns in it, but that would have been the only one out of all the cut outs on that mold that I would have used and it just wasn't worth the money.
I usually buy them silicone moulds from Chinese shops, and they're so cheap I don't even care if they're cancerous or radio/active LOL They do have the sweetest shapes there, from roses, hearts, stars to complex peonies and Confucius knows what not else...
DeleteI'd be happy to snack on some of these types of dried fruit. They definitely work well in salads!
ReplyDeleteThey sound like they do the trick indeed and are easy to grab and snack away on. I think I've seen them near here, have to keep an eye out.
ReplyDeleteI tried eating dry apples once, they were nasty. Someone told me they were more for cooking, now they tell me
ReplyDeleteI love dried apples plain! Of course, you can use them for baking, but I eat them straight out of the bag. Only in small doses though because you can tire of them quite quickly.
DeleteWe keep dried fruit on hand all the time for the baby. She loves it! I think I want to try the blueberry bark myself. I need to make a batch!
ReplyDeleteOh that looks really good. I'll have to try some.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a snack! We love dried fruit, I have never seen some of these varieties, I must look for this brand! Thank-you!
ReplyDeleteSo many ideas. I think the blueberries would be great in cookies or pancakes. We made cookies last year with dried fruit and they were delicious.
ReplyDeleteI'm game for anything healthy that includes chocolate! I think this is a lovely choice for snacks, I can't wait to get my hands on a bag or two of these.
ReplyDeleteNever thought of dried fruit to snack on! I need to try some!😊
ReplyDeleteI love dried fruit. They are awesome thrown on a salad, along with blue cheese or Gorgonzola, and a nice vinaigrette dressing. The sweet helps to offset the sharpness of the cheese - add a few pecans or walnuts, and voila! The perfect salad. :)
ReplyDeleteI found this vegan recipe for a fruit cake that calls for a can crushed pineapple and dried fruit. The stoneridge orchard snacks would be the perfect dried fruit addition.
ReplyDeleteI have not tried Stoneridge Orchards dried fruit snacks. They do look great to eat as is or included in baked goodies. I love that you added them to a salad. I might do that too.
ReplyDeleteWe love this brand! Absolutely delicious snacks for sure! Healthy is our favorite part ;)
ReplyDeleteI like to try the ones dipped in dark chocolate. That must be so yummy! I would get the dried ones too. I can make a loaf of bread and add those dried blueberries and cherries in the mix. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing this awesome healthy snack! Now I can add Stoneridge Orchards as part of my daily breakfast. These dried fruits allows me to savor them freely without guilt indeed!
ReplyDeleteOh, that is lovely! I love blueberries and the blueberry bark looks fantastic.
ReplyDeleteHi, Theresa! I've had the Stoneridge Orchards cherries before ~ Delicious! I always have multiple kinds of dried fruits on hand. My husband and I love to snack on dried fruits, I use them in homemade cereals, salads, and tea breads. Even today, my first full day in Victoria I picked up dried raisins and cranberries for snacks and cereal. The blueberry bark looks striking, but because I love dark, dark chocolate so much I'd probably use 85% cocoa plus. I'm going to try it when I get home. I doubt it will last a week! LOL Have a good one!
ReplyDeleteWe buy plain Greek Yogurt and add dried fruit in it. I also add it to homemade scones. Nom Nom!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great review.
Instead of using chocolate, I use yogurt as the base and freeze it to make bark too.. a much healthier recipe! :P
ReplyDeleteAi @ Sakura Haruka
Greek yogurt bark is some of my favorite! But, you do have to eat it quickly or it starts to melt away.
DeleteI think salad recipes are best with dried fruit. Nothing makes your greens/veggies pop better than a burst of fruit!!
ReplyDelete