Grapefruit Snacks the Whole Family Will Love

Grapefruit Snacks the Whole Family Will Love

Grapefruit snacks can be a healthy option for family snacking. If you want to teach your kids healthy eating habits giving them snacks made with grapefruit is a good way to teach them that healthy fruit is delicious as well as nutritious and that fruit can be just as tasty as candy or chocolate snacks. Fruit snacks are also a lot more portable than other types of snacks and have a lot fewer calories. You don’t have to have a lot of cooking talent to make many grapefruit snacks. All you need is plenty of fresh grapefruit and some time. If you want to create delicious and healthy grapefruit snacks that everyone in the house will love here are a few easy ones to get you started:

Dried grapefruit segments – These tasty and easy to transport snacks are ideal for a busy lifestyle. Whether you want to keep them in your desk drawer for a quick and healthy snack at work or you want to keep them in the car as a fast and easy snack for the kids on their way to sports to activities these snacks will last without refrigerator and taste great. To dry grapefruit you need to peel and segment a few large grapefruits. You can do this with fresh oranges too. Line a baking sheet with cheesecloth and place the segments on the baking sheet. Place the sheet in the oven on the lowest setting for two to three hours, or until the fruit is dry to the touch. Make sure the oven doesn’t go over 175 degrees, and leave the oven door open just a little bit to let any moisture escape. Once the fruit is dried let it cool. After it cools place it back in a 175 degree oven and bake for 15 to 20 more minutes. This will preserve the fruit and make it last for several weeks. Store it in an air tight container such as a plastic baggie with a seal.

Grapefruit roll ups – These healthy fruit rolls aren’t packed with sugar and preservatives but are naturally sweet and delicious. Start by peeling and chopping several large grapefruits. Puree them with a little sugar if you want them to be a little sweeter. Brown sugar works the best. Lay parchment baking paper on a baking sheet and spray it with some non stick spray. Pre heat the oven to the lowest setting. Pour the puree onto the baking sheet in whatever shapes you like, or just make a solid sheet of it. Bake it for two to three hours. When the fruit sheet isn’t tacky to the touch it’s done. Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks and enjoy this delicious grapefruit treat.

Grapefruit Cookies are Perfect for Parties

Grapefruit Cookies are Perfect for Parties

Grapefruit cookies are easy to make and are appropriate for many different types of events. From holiday parties to wedding receptions and baby showers grapefruit cookies are the right thing to serve when you want to provide a chocolate free option for your guests. Grapefruit cookies are also perfect for kids parties when you want to serve something that isn’t packed with sugar. There are several different kinds of cookies that use grapefruit you can make like:

Grapefruit Sugar Cookies – These simple to make cookies are perfect for showers, or for when you have friends over for a book club. They are also fabulous for teacher gifts. To make these cookies follow the basic sugar cookie recipe but add the zest of half a large and fresh ruby red grapefruit. That may seem like a lot of zest, but you’ll love the flavor when it’s finished. You can also add a few teaspoons of fresh grapefruit juice if the dough seems dry. When you take the cookies out of the over add a little more zest on the top of the warm cookie. Your guests will love the tangy and sweet flavor.

Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies – These cookies are a great twist on the classic sandwich cookie. To make these fresh and light cookies start with a basic sugar cookie recipe and add grapefruit zest. Make the cookies small and thin, like shortbread. Make at least 24. While those are cooking mix up a filling by mixing honey, confection sugar, melted butter, and a about half a cup of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice. Whip until it has a mousse like consistency. Frost half the cookies with the filling and then top with another cookie and serve. These are wonderful for summer picnics because they are so light and refreshing.

Tangy Grapefruit Cookies – These cookies have a little more bite to them and are great with cocktails. Mix up a regular shortbread dough, but add a cup of fresh ruby red juice and some grapefruit zest. Bake the shortbread, and then top it with a glaze made by combining fresh orange juice and fresh grapefruit juice into a simple syrup. If you want to give the cookies a bit more tartness you can place peeled grapefruit sections on top of each cookie. To make the cookies sweeter add peeled orange sections. These cookies are wonderful at holiday parties when people don’t want to eat chocolate or other traditional heavy or rich sweets.

Grapefruit and Other Kitchen Basics Can Give You Beautiful Skin

Grapefruit and Other Kitchen Basics Can Give You Beautiful Skin

Grapefruit and other fruits and vegetables can do amazing things for your skin. Did you know that you have everything you need to get beautiful skin right in your kitchen? It’s true. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy face creams and other skin care products to get naturally beautiful and healthy skin. The key to getting great looking skin is to always use fresh ingredients that are chock full of antioxidants and nutrients. Grapefruit juice and orange juice are both packed full of antioxidants that fight free radical damage that can make skin look sallow and old. The light and lovely scent of grapefruit juice is added to many chemical based skin care items but you can get beautiful skin and a great scent by using real fresh grapefruit juice. Here are some of the items you probably already have in your kitchen that can give you great skin:

Eggs – Egg whites are a fantastic thickener for homemade scrubs and cleansers and they also make a great face mask. Combine some fresh grapefruit juice, egg whites and oatmeal to make a soothing and toning facial mask that will make your skin glow. Leave it on until it hardens and then rinse it off with warm water and you’ll see that your face looks lifted and healthy and your skin smell great.

Olive oil – Olive oil is light, not greasy, which makes it great to use in skin care products. Olive oil is very moisturizing and when mixed with a little fresh orange juice or grapefruit juice you can use it on your face under your makeup to keep your face hydrated throughout the day. If you have skin that tends to be a little on the oily side add a bit of Tea Tree oil to the mixture to help control any oiliness.

Fresh fruit – One of the best things you can use for skin care is fresh fruit. Fresh grapefruits and oranges can be juiced and the juice used in cleansers, toners, shampoos and other items. The segmented fruit can be pulped in a blender with juice and olive oil to create a silky body wash. Add everyday table sugar if you want to create an exfoliating scrub that won’t be too harsh. For hard to exfoliate areas like your feet add fresh grapefruit pulp, grapefruit juice, and olive oil to about a cup of table salt. The salt scrub will leave your feet smooth and silky and the fruit and oil will make them soft and ready for summer sandals.

Give Grapefruit Gifts to Friends and Family This Year

Give Grapefruit Gifts to Friends and Family This Year

The holidays are coming fast but this year you can get all of your shopping done early by giving grapefruit gifts to your friends and family. Grapefruit gift baskets and boxes of assorted fruits are wonderful holiday gifts for the people you love. Everyone loves to receive fruit gifts, especially beautiful fruit towers and fruit baskets. Fruit is a safe gift for your loved ones because everyone can eat fruit no matter what type of diet they choose to follow or what medical conditions they might have. Grapefruit gifts are an economical way to get all your holiday shopping done at once so you don’t have to waste time and money hunting for gifts or mailing them before the holidays.

This year grapefruit and other citrus are one of the most popular gift trends because of the state of the economy. Even people who haven’t been hit with a job loss or a reduction in their income are trying to cut back on spending and save money wherever they can which means they buy less fresh fruit. Studies have shown that fresh fruit and meat are the first things that people cut from their diets when they need to save money. And since heat bills and other expenses skyrocket during the holiday season many people cut back by taking money from their grocery budget to meet their other expenses. Giving grapefruit gift baskets and boxes of assorted citrus fruits is a great way to give your family and friends the fresh fruit they won’t buy for themselves in order to save money. If you have loved ones who have small children giving them grapefruit and citrus gifts will ensure that the children get the fresh fruit that can help them stay healthy throughout the winter cold and flu season.

Grapefruit gifts are more affordable than you realize. When you buy large boxes of grapefruit or large gift baskets you can have them shipped directly to your loved ones and you won’t pay the high shipping charges that you’d have to pay if you were shipping your own gifts to your loved ones. You can also order your gifts online, which means you don’t have to waste time and money shopping at crowded malls or driving around from store to store to find the perfect gift. This year you can save money and give your loved ones gifts they will really appreciate. Go online and shop for grapefruit gifts today and your holiday shopping will be all done.

Get Rid of Acne with Fresh Grapefruit

Get Rid of Acne with Fresh Grapefruit
If you struggle to manage your acne you can use fresh grapefruit juice to gently control acne outbreaks and prevent acne flare ups. If you’ve had acne for awhile you’ve probably tried a lot of different products to try and get rid of it but many of those products are so harsh that they just damage your skin further. Many of them also have sulfates in them that can try your skin. Grapefruit juice is a natural antibacterial agent and can gently cleanse and heal your skin naturally. Plus the smell of grapefruit juice is very refreshing and a lot better than the chemical smells of acne fighting chemical based products. Here are some easy and effective skin care products you can make just using fresh grapefruit juice and a few other easy to find ingredients that will help you fight your acne and heal your skin:
Grapefruit daily toner – This toner is a key part of skin care if you have acne. Toning your skin after you wash it will get rid of any soap residue that could dry your skin and make the flaking and cracking associated with acne worse. The toner will also help shrink your pores and minimize the appearance of acne scars. To make this all natural toner you need witch hazel that you can purchase at any pharmacy, tea tree oil, and fresh grapefruit juice. Witch hazel is an astringent, so it will dry up excess oil on your skin. Tea Tree oil is a natural antibacterial and so is the grapefruit juice. Mix one part witch hazel with a few drops of Tea Tree oil and about a cup of fresh grapefruit juice. Use it every morning and evening after you wash your face.
Grapefruit cleanser – This natural cleanser will clean your skin without drying your face. Make sure you use the grapefruit toner after you cleanse with this to get the best possible effects from the grapefruit juice. Take a cup of fresh grapefruit juice and add a few drops of a natural liquid soap. Blend in the blender until the mixture has a frothy consistency. After you wash your face put this mixture in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. It will last for three to four days and then you should mix up a new batch. If you don’t like the grapefruit scent or if you want a change you can add some orange juice or tangerine juice to the mixture to get the scent you want.

Diet Friendly Grapefruit Desserts

Diet Friendly Grapefruit Desserts

Grapefruit is a delicious treat that can be incorporated into any type of diet because it’s low in calories but full of healthy fiber. Grapefruit also has a natural fat burning enzyme that will help your body burn fat for energy. The light taste of grapefruit can be blended with other ingredients to make low calorie desserts or it can be served on its own. If you’re worried about the sugar used to make some of these tasty and diet friendly desserts just substitute a low calorie sweetener for the sugar that is used.

Grapefruit ice – Remember the ice slush that you used to get at the fair when you were young? You can make a low calorie grapefruit ice that is full of flavor, cold and refreshing with less than 100 calories. This is a perfect summer dessert when you don’t want to have high calorie and high fat ice cream but you still want a frozen treat. Make simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together. Add a few drops of star anise flavoring. When they syrup is done blend it with one to two cups of fresh grapefruit juice. Pour into a shallow metal baking pan and freeze. After a few hours take the pan out and stir the half frozen liquid. Return it to the freezer and leave it for at least two hours or overnight if you can. To serve take a sharp knife and drag is across the frozen surface, which will shave off ice pieces. Pour the ice pieces into a dessert tumbler and garnish with some grapefruit slices and you’ll have a refreshing frozen treat.

Grapefruit meringues – These delicious and flavorful cookies are great when you want something sweet but don’t want to cheat on your diet. They are easy to pack in your purse or keep in your desk drawer at work too. Mix six or seven egg whites and the zest of half of grapefruit with cream of tartar and salt. Use an electric mixer and a chilled stainless steel mixing bowl for best results. When the meringue stiffens into points spoon the mixture into a frosting bag and drop dollops of meringue onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Put the meringues into an oven that is preheated to 250 degrees until they are dry, which usually takes an hour and a half to two hours in most ovens. Let them cool and they are ready to serve.

Delicious Grapefruit Summer Salads

Delicious Grapefruit Summer Salads

Summer is salad season and there are some wonderful grapefruit salads you can make for yourself and your family which are tasty, healthy, and delicious. Adding tangy grapefruits to summer salads will give your salads an edge and give you easy and refreshing meals to serve. Grapefruit has a natural fat burning enzyme which will help you maintain your weight or lose weight, so combining grapefruit with healthy salads is a great way to cut calories if you’re trying to lose weight. Eating grapefruit salad is also a fantastic way to avoid becoming bored with salads if you eat salads a lot as most people do during the spring and summer. You can even make these salads for summer parties and picnics when you want to wow your guests. You don’t need to be a gourmet chef or spend hours cooking to make salads like these:

Cucumber Grapefruit Salad – This tangy salad takes just minutes to make and it will taste like something you’d get served in a restaurant. To make the dressing blend vinegar, olive oil, thyme, tarragon and dill. Chill the dressing while you make the rest of the salad. Place sliced cucumbers in the bottle of individual salad bowls. Top with a blend of several types of lettuce. On top place peeled segments of a ruby red grapefruit. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and serve.

Apple Salad with Grapefruit Dressing – This unique dressing can be used on any salad when you want to switch things up and have a little variety but it goes very well with this apple salad. To make the salad mix sliced apples with endive lettuce and fresh mint leaves. To make the dressing you need to combine about a quarter cup of fresh grapefruit juice with a couple of tablespoons of Dijon mustard and olive oil. Blend thoroughly and pour over the salad. Make sure to coat the apples with the dressing.

Grapefruit Avocado Salad – This simple salad is very low in calories and is a delicious change from traditional salads. Peel and dice an avocado. Peel and section a fresh ruby red grapefruit and then chop it into small sections. Toss the avocado and the grapefruit pieces with some iceberg lettuce and top with a fresh poppy seed dressing. You will love the super refreshing taste. This is a great salad to serve at picnics or to bring to potluck dinners because it’s unique and memorable but delicious.

Sending Affordable Citrus Gifts

Many people are trying to find ways that they can continue to give nice gifts to their friends and loved ones without having to spend a fortune.

Citrus gifts are a perfect way to give your family and friends something that is useful, healthy, affordable, and a real treat that they probably wouldn’t buy for themselves.  There are many different types of citrus gifts that you can give that are appropriate for any occasion. The most popular citrus gifts are usually holiday gifts.  G

iving citrus for the holidays gives your family and friends the chance to enjoy some exotic, delicious and healthy citrus fruits during a time of year when fresh fruit is usually expensive and when people are usually overdosing on chocolates and sweets.  If you want to add a little extra something to your gift you can choose a citrus gift that comes with chocolate covered berries or gourmet nuts or another type of treat that complements the citrus fruits that make up the main gift. Luscious Honeybell oranges, which are only in season between January and February, are a wonderful holiday treat and cost less than most other holiday gifts.  Because you can give one citrus gift to an entire family you can save a lot of money when you buy everyone on your holiday list a gift of citrus.

To make citrus gifts even more affordable you can pick and choose the types of citrus that you want to give.  Fruit of the month club gifts are gifts that keep on giving all year round, but if that is out of your price range try sending a citrus gift of some delicious Ruby Red grapefruits or light White Grapefruits.  Tangelos are another popular gift choice, especially as a family gift, because they are very easy to peel and the segments are sturdy which make them great for children. Any one of the seedless types of citrus fruit also is a very good gift for families with children.  Citrus gifts are affordable for you, but they also are a thoughtful gift in these tough economic times because one of the first places that most families cut back when they need to curb spending is on fresh fruits and vegetables.

A citrus gift will give the family something that they might not have had for awhile – fresh, delicious citrus fruit packed with vitamins and minerals.

Easy Ways to Eat More Grapefruits

Grapefruit are extremely nutritious and have a wide range of health benefits, including weight loss. It’s very true that eating grapefruit can help you lose weight. But, other than eating grapefruits with your breakfast in the morning how can you work grapefruits into your busy schedule? It’s easy, if you get creative.

The health benefits that you’ll get from eating grapefruits make it worth the time and effort to find new and fun ways to get more grapefruits into your diet. There are a lot of creative tips from diet and nutrition experts on how to eat more grapefruit without getting bored that you can incorporate into your everyday life.

One of the easiest ways to get more grapefruit into your diet is to keep grapefruits wherever you are going to be. Buy a case of grapefruit and divide it up. Keep some at home, keep some in your desk drawer or in the lunchroom at work. Keep a few in your bag for when you need a quick snack or when you need a quick energy boost on your way to the gym. Pack grapefruits in your kid’s lunches and serve grapefruits as an after school snack. In order to protect your grapefruit from bruising when you’re carrying it in a bag or when your kids take them to school in a backpack you can buy or make a grapefruit jacket. A grapefruit jacket is a small knitted sack that goes around a grapefruit and closes with a hook or a button and protects your grapefruit from getting banged up while traveling. An inexpensive grapefruit jacket makes grapefruits a perfectly portable snack for you and your whole family.

If you don’t want to carry grapefruits around with you then you can fill a re-useable bottle with pure grapefruit juice in the morning and keep it with you all day. Fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is delicious and very nutritious. The vitamins and minerals in the juice will give you a natural boost when you’re starting to fade during the day. Fresh fruit juice is a great alternative to heavily caffeinated drinks or energy drinks which can end up leaving you dehydrated and wiped out. You can also use freshly squeezed grapefruit juice instead of water in smoothies and yogurt drinks. Using juice instead of water will give smoothies an extra nutritional punch and make them naturally sweet so that you don’t need to add sugar or other sweeteners.

Grapefruits aren’t just for snacks of for breakfast. Grapefruit segments added to salad create a salad that is visually appealing as well as tasty and nutritious. Grapefruit juice can be used with breadcrumbs to create a slightly sweet and slightly tart breading for meats and fish. And of course grapefruit juice and grapefruit segments can be used in endless ways in different dessert dishes. You can make intricate and complicated fruit desserts with grapefruits or you can make desserts as simple as gelatin and grapefruit segments and they will all be delicious and nutritious.

Using Citrus Seeds to Grow Your Own Citrus Fruit

Have you thought about growing citrus by planting your own citrus seeds?

Citrus plants are very fragrant, have beautiful flowers, and usually grow very well indoors. Citrus fruits are a healthy and delicious snack and can also add a lot of flavor to various gourmet dishes. But if you live in an area where citrus fruits aren’t in season all year round, or if you want to have control over what fertilizers and chemicals are used on the fruit that you eat, you can grow your fruit indoors at home using citrus seeds. Make sure that the seeds you use to start your plants are from a high quality supplier so that they have a better chance of growing properly. 

You don’t have to have a green thumb in order to successfully grow your own citrus at home.  If you are diligent about protecting the seeds and later the plants from drafts, direct sunlight, and other things that can kill or hurt newly grown plants then you should be able to successfully grow your own citrus fruit all year round. The first thing that you will need to start growing your own citrus fruit is seeds.  You can get seeds from a piece of fruit that you’ve eaten, or you can buy seeds from a nursery or home and garden center.

Once you have some high quality seeds you can start the seeds growing by planting them in a small pot using a mixture of potting soil and mulch.  To help the growth process of the plants place a cover of clear plastic wrap over the plants when they are not being watered. This helps to protect the growing plant from the cold and will make the citrus seeds germinate faster. The plants should be kept in a room where the temperature is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.  It will take a few weeks for the plants to really start growing but after about three weeks you should start to see leaves growing.  When the plants are well established it’s time to transplant. 

Move the plants to bigger pots and use a good quality potting soil to make sure the plants get the nutrients they need.  Place the plants in a location where they can get plenty of sunlight but make sure it’s not direct sunlight.  Direct sunlight can be too harsh for young plants and can burn the newly developed leaves.  As the plant grows you will need to keep repotting it into bigger containers but the plant should always be kept in an area with bright sunlight and a temperature of about 70 degrees in order to get the best fruit.

The quality of the potting soil and even the water that you use can make a difference in whether or not the citrus seeds that were planted grow properly and eventually bear fruit.  Remember that because the plant is being grown indoors all the nutrients it needs have to come from the potting soil and choose a potting soil that is recommended for citrus plants. It’s best to use distilled water to water the plants so that the leaves aren’t harmed by any of the chemicals that are usually in tap water.

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