Welcome back to another Small Footprint Friday—a blog link-up party about sustainable living. Every Friday, we come together to support and encourage each other in living greener, healthier more sustainable lives.

By joining together and sharing our wisdom, we can turn the tide on our health and environmental crises, and create a better world for our children and grandchildren.

There are so many things we can learn from each other, like how to:

• save energy, water, trees, gas, and other resources;
• grow, preserve and store food;
• avoid toxins and heal ourselves naturally;
• make our own necessities;
• reduce our consumption, recycle our waste, and reuse what we have;
• redefine what makes life meaningful, prosperous and abundant…

How It Works

1.  Share your posts that relate to “green” or sustainable living. There are some ideas above, but feel free to post anything related to keeping your family’s resource footprint small and sustainable. Posts from your archives are OK. Please enter the title and link to your POST (not your home page) in the Linky below.

2.  In your post, please place a link back to THIS Small Footprint Fridays post (NOT to the home page). Linking back directly to this week’s link-up page helps build our community by sending your readers to all of the other posts shared.

Simply make a link at the end of your post that says something like, “Posted at Small Footprint Fridays” or right-click and save the badge below and use it to link back to this page. I reserve the right to delete those links that don’t adhere to this.

3.  I’ll post the Small Footprint Fridays Link-Up on Thursday night around 8 p.m. (PST). Please come and join up then!

4.  Please leave a comment, and help our sustainable living community grow by sharing Small Footprint Fridays with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest! Plus, doing so will help your post get more visitors.

5.  Most importantly, be sure to visit a few of the links that interest you. Learning from and encouraging each other is what this is all about, after all!

What Can’t I Post?

NO RECIPES, PLEASE, unless they are for food preservation or storage. There are tons of recipe link-ups out there. Small Footprint Fridays has a different focus.

Also, we want these links to be valuable to readers months—or even years—from now, so please don’t post giveaways, link-ups, Etsy shops or affiliate promotions.

I hate using the delete button; so please don’t make me.

Now It’s Your Turn…

I can’t wait to see what you have to share!!

And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! I hope your weekend is restful and fun!

If you like this post, you'll find even more at Small Footprint Family

It’s time to announce the winner of my latest favorite cookbook, Indulge! 70 Grain Free Desserts.

Carol Lovett of Ditch the Wheat has taken all the guesswork out of learning how to make scrumptious baked goods that are grain-free, dairy-free, cane sugar free, and Paleo/Primal friendly.

I could have saved years of trial and error (not to mention a ton of money) if I had had this book when I first learned about my family’s food sensitivities. From doughnuts to cake to pie, everything I have made from Indulge! has been fabulous!

If you love dessert as much as I do, but have been totally unimpressed with most grain-free baked goods, I strongly encourage you to check out Indulge! 70 Grain Free Desserts—especially while it’s on SALE for 20% off!

No gluten-free, grain-free, Paleo or GAPS cookbook library would be complete without this invaluable resource.

Check out Indulge! here

Without further ado, the lucky winner is…

If you like this post, you'll find even more at Small Footprint Family

Welcome back to another Small Footprint Friday—a blog link-up party about sustainable living. Every Friday, we come together to support and encourage each other in living greener, healthier more sustainable lives.

By joining together and sharing our wisdom, we can turn the tide on our health and environmental crises, and create a better world for our children and grandchildren.

There are so many things we can learn from each other, like how to:

• save energy, water, trees, gas, and other resources;
• grow, preserve and store food;
• avoid toxins and heal ourselves naturally;
• make our own necessities;
• reduce our consumption, recycle our waste, and reuse what we have;
• redefine what makes life meaningful, prosperous and abundant…

How It Works

1.  Share your posts that relate to “green” or sustainable living. There are some ideas above, but feel free to post anything related to keeping your family’s resource footprint small and sustainable. Posts from your archives are OK. Please enter the title and link to your POST (not your home page) in the Linky below.

2.  In your post, please place a link back to THIS Small Footprint Fridays post (NOT to the home page). Linking back directly to this week’s link-up page helps build our community by sending your readers to all of the other posts shared.

Simply make a link at the end of your post that says something like, “Posted at Small Footprint Fridays” or right-click and save the badge below and use it to link back to this page. I reserve the right to delete those links that don’t adhere to this.

3.  I’ll post the Small Footprint Fridays Link-Up on Thursday night around 8 p.m. (PST). Please come and join up then!

4.  Please leave a comment, and help our sustainable living community grow by sharing Small Footprint Fridays with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest! Plus, doing so will help your post get more visitors.

5.  Most importantly, be sure to visit a few of the links that interest you. Learning from and encouraging each other is what this is all about, after all!

What Can’t I Post?

NO RECIPES, PLEASE, unless they are for food preservation or storage. There are tons of recipe link-ups out there. Small Footprint Fridays has a different focus.

Also, we want these links to be valuable to readers months—or even years—from now, so please don’t post giveaways, link-ups, Etsy shops or affiliate promotions.

I hate using the delete button; so please don’t make me.

Now It’s Your Turn…

I can’t wait to see what you have to share!!

And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! I hope your weekend is restful and fun!

If you like this post, you'll find even more at Small Footprint Family

Here in Southern California, land of amazing food, grown year-round, there is a fruit in season now called the cherimoya.

Being an East Coast native, I had never seen one before, because cherimoyas have a very short shelf-life and therefore aren’t successful in commercial production. The yummiest, healthiest foods usually aren’t.

Sometimes called a custard apple, the cherimoya is related to the paw-paw, a yummy, rare fruit native to the Eastern U.S. (Pawpaws, I had seen!) Like the pawpaw, the unassuming, scaly-looking exterior of the cherimoya hides some of the most luscious, tropical tasting pulp I’ve ever enjoyed.

Tasting like a cross between banana, pineapple and strawberry, cherimoyas are a true local delicacy. So, if you find yourself in Southern California, be sure to pick some up from your local farm market.

Culture and Cultivation

Cherimoyas (Annona cherimola) are native to Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru, but they will grow in USDA hardiness zones 10-11. The greenish-yellow, conical fruits are borne on evergreen trees that can grow up to 30 feet tall. Cherimoyas bear fruits 4-5 years after planting.

The cherimoya flowers are hermaphroditic and cannot self-pollinate. These flowers are female in the initial stage, but they later on convert into males.  Therefore, they require a pollinator who can collect the pollen from the flower in the male stage, and deposit it back in its female stage.

In their natural habitat, cherimoya flowers are pollinated by insects long evolved for their specialized pollination process (Coleoptera, Hemiptera). However, in the cultivated farms, pollination is largely done artificially by people to obtain good yields.

Cherimoya Nutrition

Cherimoyas contain several poly-phenolic antioxidants (read: plant chemicals) that have been found to have anti-cancer, anti-malarial, and anti-helminthes properties.

Cherimoya is very high in vitamin-C and is a good source of B-complex vitamins, especially vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine). 100 g fresh fruit provides 0.257 mg or 20% of daily-recommended levels. Pyridoxine helps keep-up GABA neuro chemical in the brain. High GABA levels calm down nervous irritability, tension, and headache ailments.

Further, cherimoya is rich in copper, magnesium, iron and manganese, and in fact, contains more minerals per weight than many common fruits, like apples.

Selection and Storage

Look for firm, unblemished fruits that feel heavy for their size. Ripe fruits turn pale green to light brown color and emanate fragrant rich sweet aroma that can be appreciated from a distance. Ripe cherimoyas will also yield to gentle pressure, like an avocado.

To ripen a cherimoya, simply set them out on the counter at room temperature. The fruit can turn from a hard green color to full ripeness in 4 to 6 days. Once ripe, you can refrigerate them and they’ll last a few more days for you.

The best way to enjoy a really ripe cherimoya is also the easiest: Spoon out the fruit, discard the large black seeds and season the pulp with a squeeze of orange juice. Cherimoya doesn’t hold up well to cooking, so enjoy it ripe, fresh and raw while it’s in season.

Preparing Cherimoya

To prepare for recipes, cut the top and the bottom of the fruit off and peel off the outer skin. Slice, chunk or puree as you wish, making sure to remove the seeds. (The seeds are toxic and must not be eaten!)

Cherimoyas, like most tropical fruits, are high in water and fiber. You can substitute cherimoya in any recipe calling for your favorite fresh, soft, wet fruit. They are great in smoothies, yogurt and custards!

(Note: Do not eat cherimoyas if you have a latex allergy and have cross-reactions to avocados or bananas.)

Here are some simple cherimoya recipes to enjoy while they’re available:

Cherimoya-Papaya Smoothie

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

• 1 medium ripe papaya
• 1 large ripe cherimoya
• 1/2 cup crushed ice or 1 pre-frozen banana
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (Optional)
• 2 Tbsp. full fat coconut milk, or to desired consistency (Optional)
• Probiotic capsules for extra boost (Optional)

Directions

1. Peel and de-seed the cherimoya and papaya.
2. Puree the fruit and honey in a blender, add the ice or banana, and continue to puree until smooth.
3. Add the coconut oil and probiotics, if using.
4. If you need to thin out the smoothie, you can add more ice, but it’s even better with coconut milk!
5. Pour into chilled glasses and serve at once.
6. Enjoy!

Tropical Cherimoya Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 cup pureed cherimoya pulp (about 2 small cherimoyas)
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. sea salt (or more to taste)
• 1 tsp. sesame tahini, sesame oil or powdered sesame seed
• 1 clove fresh, organic garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 Tbsp. fresh, organic cilantro, minced (Optional)

Directions

1. Peel, de-seed and purée cherimoya.
2. With the blender on a low setting, mix pureed cherimoya pulp with the extra virgin olive oil.
3. Add rice vinegar, lemon juice, and salt.
4. Add sesame tahini, sesame oil or powdered sesame seed.
5. Add garlic, then cilantro, and blend just until completely mixed.
6. Enjoy with salads or as a marinade for fish, seafood or chicken.

Cherimoya Tropical Soup

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe cherimoya
• 1 large ripe mango
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup milk (coconut or raw cow’s milk are best)
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Chill all ingredients for at least an hour before preparing.
2. Peel and seed the mango and cherimoya and cut them into pieces.
3. Put the fruit, apple juice, milk, honey and cinnamon in a blender and purée till smooth.
4. Pour into serving bowls, add garnish of choice, and serve.
5. Enjoy as a bright, fresh appetizer or dessert!

_{Shared with Weekend Whatever, Sunday School, Simply Natural Saturdays, Mix it Up Mondays, Better Mom Mondays, Clever Chicks Hop, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Thank Goodness Its Monday, Natural Living Linkup, Homestead Barn Hop, Mostly Homemade Mondays, Fat Tuesdays, The Gathering Spot, The Family Table, Traditional Tuesday, Healthy Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Titus 2sday, Eco-Kids Tuesday, Tuned In Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Backyard Farming Connection, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Real Food Wednesdays, Healthy 2day Wednesday, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Well Fed Wednesdays, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Whole Food Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Party Wave Wednesday, Fresh Foods Wednesday, Pennywise Platter, The Mommy Club, From the Farm Hop, Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursday, Tasty Traditions, Thank Your Body Thursday, HomeAcre Hop, Full Plate Thursday, Raw Food Thursday, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Fight Back Fridays, Natural Living Linkup, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Old Fashioned Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, LHITS DIY Linky, Weekend Wellness}

If you like this post, you'll find even more at Small Footprint Family

If you checked out the Chocolate Truffle Cake in my recipe section, then surely you know how much I adore my latest cookbook, Indulge! 70 Grain Free Desserts.

Carol Lovett of Ditch the Wheat has taken all the guesswork out of learning how to make scrumptious baked goods that are grain-free, dairy-free, cane sugar free, and Paleo/Primal and GAPS-friendly. I could have saved years of trial and error (not to mention a ton of money) if I had had this book when I first learned about my family’s food sensitivities.

I don’t know about you, but I have been often let down by gluten-free and grain-free treats. Whether you make them yourself or buy them, most come out either soggy, heavy and eggy or dry, crumbly and kinda flavorless.

But everything I have made from Indulge! has been fabulous!

Whether it’s an adaptation of classic dessert staples like chocolate ganache, vanilla cake, or pie crust—or a doughnut that somehow tastes tastes totally amazing without containing any grains or milk—this book is top-notch, and Carol really knows what she is doing.

And if that weren’t enough, the pictures are amazing, plus the ingredient lists, helpful tips and substitution guides are really valuable too. (You can check out a sample here)

Because this book has got me so excited about baking, I asked Carol if I could give away another copy to one of my lucky readers. Of course, she said yes, and so here’s your chance to enter to win the veritable bible of grain free dessert recipes.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, May 14 at 12:00 am.

No gluten-free, Paleo or grain-free cookbook library would be complete without this invaluable resource.

And to tempt you even further, Carol is offering Indulge! for 20% off until May 31st! So if you don’t win, you can still get this very popular e-cookbook while it’s on sale!

Check out Indulge! here

_{The post is part of  Sunday School,  Simply Natural Saturdays, Mix it Up Mondays, Natural Living Monday, Better Mom Mondays, Fat Tuesdays, Titus 2sdays, Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays, Teach Me Tuesdays, Tutorial Tuesday, The Gathering Spot, Traditional Tuesdays, Healthy Tuesday Hop, Family Table Tuesday, Tuned-In Tuesday, Whole Food Wednesdays, Healthy 2day Wednesday, The Mommy Club, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Well Fed Wednesday, Fresh Foods Wednesday, Natural Living Linkup, HomeAcre Hop,  Gluten Free Friday, Thank Your Body Thursday, The HomeAcre Hop, Tasty Traditions, LHITS DIY Linky, Weekend Whatever}

If you like this post, you'll find even more at Small Footprint Family