Do the Berry Mash! (Even though it's not a graveyard smash.)

Not everything I eat is served in a microwavable bowl or a pie crust. One of the main reasons I became vegan was to eat healthier. Does that mean I go broke doing it on a completely organic diet sprinkled with ancient grains and vegan-targeted brands? Nope. I do it on a budget using what I can find.

Before I get to my berry mash, I want to give big ups to my CSA provider: Green Door Gourmet in Nashville. They make being a summer vegan in Tennessee a walk in the park. Every week there is a wide variety of produce, the cost is only $20, and they also have a farm store stocked with extras. Just thinking about those late summer apples and tomatoes makes my tummy rumble. I am truly dreading the winter months ahead because I won't have them in my life...I told myself I wasn't going to cry...

On to breakfast! I have to be at work at 8 am, so most of my breakfasts are on the go. My local Dollar Tree gets Nature's Own bread products, which gives me lots of vegan bread options. I often have a bagel or hamburger bun with berry mash. All you need to make it is a bag of frozen fruit and sugar. I got strawberries and evaporated cane juice at my local DT.

This works with any number of frozen fruits (blueberries, mango, and mixed berries are also at DT). I set the strawberries in the fridge overnight to thaw, then drained off some of the liquid. 

**PRO TIP: Cut a tiny corner off of the bag and drain this way. No risk of mess, and you're still able to retain a little of the liquid, which you need for the mash.**

Then just put the berries in a bowl, add as much sugar as you like (I use about 2 tablespoons for a 13oz bag). Mash with a potato masher, and voila! you have all natural "jam." 

It's much cheaper than store bought jam, and you control the calories. It'll last in the fridge for about a week. I eat it on bagels, waffles, pancakes, all my breakfast breads, really. 

This morning I sprinkled some flax seed all up on there and called it a morning. Who's a healthy princess?