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Featured Posts
- St. Patrick’s Day Pineapple Punch
- Sheet Pan Perfect Pineapple Ham
- Can A Pineapple Really Live Under the Sea?
- Say Aloha to Our Hawaiian-style Ham and Pineapple Pasta Recipe
- Holiday Joy, Hanukkah, and Pineapple Kugel
- What are China’s Pineapple Science Awards?
- Fuel Up with Paleo Pineapple Fried Rice
- Best Gluten-Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Piña Colada Pie in a Jar
- Slow Cooking Your Pineapple This Fall
Featured
The Power of Bromelain!
It’s cold and flu season and you are trying your best to avoid getting sick at all costs this winter season. Did you know that you have the secret ingredient right in front of you?
What is this magical medicinal remedy? Bromelain. Bromelain is a very important topic around Lloyd’s Corner since it has the power to cure many ailments. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, bromelain reduces mucus in the throat and nose. It also reduces those pesky, never-ending coughs. If you also feel that you are swelling up due to a fever, bromelain with reduce inflammation and swelling.
Want more information on the secret powers of bromelain? Click here to read more about University of Maryland Medical Center’s study.
Stay healthy!
Dr.Lloyd
Get Your Daily Dose of Fruits & Vegetables
Think you’re getting enough fruits and veggies? Think again.
At least seven out of 10 Americans aren’t meeting the recommended amount of fresh produce needed for a healthy lifestyle. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services released the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Every five years the Dietary Guidelines are published. These guidelines give recommendations on how to maintain a healthy and nutritional diet.
What sticks out? You guessed it. Americans need to increase their fruit and vegetable intake.
Fruits add to healthy eating patterns. They are a great source of dietary fiber and vitamin C. Pineapples are a superfruit that can help achieve a healthy lifestyle. From being a great source of Vitamin C (which is a very important topic in Dr. Lloyd’s Corner) to providing the powerful enzyme bromelain, pineapples are great if you’re looking for a better diet.
How can you follow the guidelines for eating more fruit? Choose fruits as snacks, side dishes and desserts to cut down on foods with added sugars. Stay away from juices that do not contain 100% fruit juices. Many juices contain less than 50% juice and are made up of added sugars.
Check out our own list of recipes to see how you can incorporate more fruits into your diet.
Want to take a look into the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines? Click here.
Best,
Dr. Lloyd
Posted in Featured, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged fruits, pineapple, vegetables
Start the Year Right!
“This year I will eat more fruit…” That’s right; New Year’s resolutions are in full swing. What better way to start 2016 than with some tasty pineapples?
Aside from their incredibly sweet taste, pineapples are also a rich source of natural simple sugars. These sugars improve brain activity, promote better cognition and improve concentration – things we all know we need come Monday mornings.
Other “sugars” you might have at breakfast aren’t so natural and quite frankly make you crash later on. Starting your day with some fresh pineapple will give you the kick-start you need.
Already switching up your morning routine to include oatmeal instead of fattier options? Great! Now, just mix up your ordinary oatmeal recipe by adding juicy, chunks of pineapple.
(Hawaiian Oatmeal Recipe from BarefeetInTheKitchen.com)
Mary Younkin from Barefeet in The Kitchen gives us this awesome Hawaiian Oatmeal recipe that will have you wanting more. Visit Barefeet in The Kitchen for full instructions on how to start your day off right.
Cheers!
Dr.Lloyd
2016: The Year of the Pineapple
The New Year is almost upon us!
Many of us have prepared for 2016 by drafting new year’s resolutions. And you know what? I agree with the tradition. There really is something magically inspiring and motivating about resolutions! In fact, down here on the farm, we have a few “new beginning” traditions and customs that we follow on December 31st.
Among them are some fun ones such as crossing the neighborhood street with a suitcase in hand to ensure travelling in the coming year. Or sweeping the entire house to sway away past evils. Many people here in Costa Rica even make it a point to ring in midnight with yellow underwear for good luck in the months ahead.
Maybe these customs aren’t exactly your cup of tea, but there is one thing you can’t deny: Taking steps to better yourself is always a smart thing! Among your own resolutions, we’re pretty certain that “eating better” or “making healthier choices” is on your list. And that’s terrific!
So, alright then. In 2016, introduce more fresh produce to your diet! We’re partial of course, but pineapple will really be a great addition to your fruit basket this year. As the year continues, check Lloyd’s Corner for more reasons on how this star food can help you. (Can’t wait? Check out a few health posts from 2015 here, here and here.)
Without further ado, from our family to yours:
Image Created by Sisters, What!
Cheers!
Dr. Lloyd
Posted in Featured, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged costa rica, health, new year
Eat, Drink and Be Merry!
Joy to the World! After all the planning and prepping, the big day is finally here. We hope our tips these past few weeks have helped bring some holiday cheer to the dinner table this year. And for all you last-minute folk, here’s a few links again to our favorite winter recipes (if you’re in need to whip something up quickly):
Appetizer: Pineapple Cheese Ball
Side Dish: Costa Rican Casserole
Main Entree: Honey Banked Ham with Pineapple Glaze
Dessert: Perfect Pineapple Pie
From our family to yours, we wish you a season filled with sweetness!
Enjoy and Happy Holidays,
Dr. Lloyd
‘Tis the Season
Oh, Christmas!
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. And folks…clamoring for some traditional Christmas ham?
So it doesn’t rhyme. But it’s true! Christmas ham is an American tradition. Sure, every region does things a little differently, but a staple of an American Christmas – like the trees and the presents – is a sweet, glazed, succulent ham.
Mmm. Our mouth is starting to water just thinking about it! And everyone knows that the best hams, while recipes might vary from family to family, they all have one thing in common: pineapple.
If you’re looking to try out a new recipe or just shake it up a bit, this contest-winning submission from TasteofHome.com is pretty on point.
What you’ll need:
Ingredients
- 1 boneless fully cooked ham (about 6 pounds)
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple or a fresh Perfect Pineapple
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- Maraschino cherries
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 2 hours
MAKES: 16 servings
Enjoy,
Dr. Lloyd
Christmas in 1840: What Tree?
Happy Saturday!
We stumbled across an interesting story today that we thought would be a neat post to share with our regular readers. Remember when ole’ Dr. Lloyd here told you about the history of the pineapple, or how pineapples were once a status symbol among Europeans?
Well, down in South Carolina, the Historic Columbia Foundation will be sharing similar anecdotes during candlelight tours of the capitol’s historic buildings later this month. The tours will showcase exactly what Christmas in the late 19th century was like for the buildings’ residents. Surprisingly, Christmas trees weren’t common as decoration until after the 1850s. But you know what was? You guessed it – pineapples!
This article by TheState.com gives great insight into what a Christmas celebration would have looked like during the American historical era – and give some reasons as to why the pineapple crazes seems to endure.
To read the full story, click here.
Dr. Lloyd
Posted in Featured, Tips & Tall Tales
Tagged christmas, history
Gobble, Gobble!
At Chestnut Hill Farms, we’re thankful for the many blessings our jobs have afforded us. Especially for our colleagues – the great people we get to work with each and every day. And as odd as it might sound to someone outside of the company – we’re also truly thankful for pineapples.
It’s just that we LOVE pineapples. So naturally, when we find someone who loves pineapples as much as we do, we just have to share.
So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, here’s a fun post we came across from a Florida blogging family who has made pineapples part of their own annual, holiday tradition.
Drum roll please….
It’s a real Pineapple Turkey!
Gobble, gobble! For more on how the ladies at Live Pretty put this on each year, visit their site here.
And from all of us at Chestnut Hill Farms, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Best wishes,
Dr. Lloyd
Posted in Featured
Tagged thanksgiving
Last Minute Thanksgiving Dish
As you’re reading this, today, Monday, November 23, I can bet that you are either one of two people:
“Person A”: You have EVERYTHING set for Thanksgiving. Whether you’re hosting the entire affair or you’re a generous family member bringing a dish, you’ve got it covered. Ingredients were bought a few days ago and you can’t wait to get in the kitchen and get to work. Or…
“Person B”: You came here looking for a miracle, because you haven’t even given a thought to what you’re supposed to bring to your mother’s house come Thursday.
If you’re Person A , we’re sure you whipped up something both delicious and ambitious like a….Pineapple Casserole for example.
If you’re Person B, don’t worry. We’ve got something just for you!
Baked in AZ swears this is the best cheese ball they’ve ever had. (Tasty? Check!) And it seems pretty easy to make. (A quick run to the store and 30 minutes at home? Check!) Plus, it’s a real tried and true homemade recipe that features PINEAPPLES. (Mom will love it and so do we. Double Check!).
Photo by BakedinAZ.com
Here’s what you’ll need:
PINEAPPLE & PECAN CHEESE BALL
INGREDIENTS
- 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
- ½ cup bell pepper, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons green onions, chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- ¾ cup chopped pecans
- crackers
Check out Adel’s recipe page here for directions and more details.
Don’t stress. It will all work out. Plus, if you really don’t have time to make anything – a simple pineapple always does the trick. 🙂
Happy Holidays!
Dr. Lloyd
Posted in Featured, Recipes
Tagged appetizers, recipes, thanksgiving
School’s Out: Let the Kids Go Nuts
Thanksgiving is almost here! Between all of the cooking and planning for this month’s big affair, you might be asking yourself, “what am I supposed to do with the kids during the school break?” We know. We know. It’s not like you don’t want to spend time with them, it’s just – there’s so much to do!
Well, we have a solution for you: let them go nuts! Now, before you panic, let us clarify. We found this really neat DIY tutorial that turns a holiday staple – walnuts – into little itty bitty pineapples. In fact, Kelly, the creative maven behind the idea at Studio DIY, came up for this as an alternative decor choice for her Thanksgiving table. And it makes sense, remember, pineapples are a symbol of hospitality.
Photo by DIYStudio.com
What you’ll need to keep the youngin’s entertained:
Walnuts
Yellow Craft Paint
Paintbrush
Green Cardstock (Cut into leaf shapes of various lengths)
Hot Glue (if an older child is in charge, if not Elmer’s Glue will do)
For full, step-by-step instructions, visit Kelly’s post here.
Enjoy (and good luck!),
Dr. Lloyd