(NAPSA)—For a great vacat experience, travel is not required—you can make priceless family memories witha staycat. Staying at homesaves time and budget for busy families. There are many ways to be a “local tourist” and enjoy an entertaining staycat that’s healthy and active. Dr. Sonali Ruder, spokesperson for the Blueberry Council (aka the Foodie Physician), offers this advice on crafting a staycat to remember: “Spending time together and keeping kids’ minds and bodies going are important for a meaningful staycat. It can be as simple as taking walksor goingto the playground. Bad weather? Getcrafty with an art project. Put your devices away and play a trivia game that gets you thinking during dinner. And, of course, get kids in the kitchen to be yourlittle sous chefs. It’s fun for them, but they can also practice their math and motorskills and learn abouthealthy eating.” Savvy parents use all the tools at their disposal to keep kids busy and entertained during vacat season, and blueberriesare here to help. They're available—fresh or frozen—year-round. No muss, no fuss—justrinse and go. You can buy them by the boxful and eat them by the handful. Ideas for Staycat Fun Get the kids off the couch and into someentertaining activities. Start your day by tossing blueberries into your oatmeal, or make a batch of Dr. Ruder’s Blueberry French Toast Muffins. Invent your own scavenger hunt, indoors or outdoors. e Practice counting or making shapes with blueberries. Explore “free days” at nearby museums. e Whip up blueberry lemonade for an afternoontea party. Picnic in the park or backyard with a basket of blueberries and healthy goodies. Assemble pizzas on whole-grain English muffins—kids’ choice of toppings! Blueberry French Toast Muffins Serves 12 4 large eggs 1 cup milk, any type 3 tablespoonspure maple syrup 1 teaspoon cinnamon To have a “bluetiful” time on your family staycat, bake up a few blueberry treats such as Blueberry French Toast Muffins. 2 teaspoonsvanilla 12 ounces whole grain bread, cut into small pieces (about 6 cups) 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries Optal toppings: maple syrup, powderedsugar Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add the bread and stir to combine well. Fold in the blueberries. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Spoon equal ports of the bread mixture into the muffin pan, filling the wells almost all the way to the top. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until muffins are puffed up and cooked through. Remove from oven and cool. Serve muffins plain or top them witha little bit of maple syrup or powdered sugar. Blueberries are amazingly versatile andtaste great on their own or in baked goods, kid-friendly blueberry slushies, or parent-ready blueberry bourbon sours. They complementa variety offla- vors, cuisines and dishes. The Healthy Part Blueberries contain just 80 calories per cup, Dr. Ruder adds. They're a good source of dietary fiber so you feel full longer, and they aid in digest. ‘They're also a good source of vitamin C, which boosts the immune system and helps protectcells from damage caused by free radicals, and manganese, which helps process cholesterol and nutrients. Blueberries are also low in sodium and contain virtually nofat. Learn More For more ways to enjoy blueber- ries—ona staycat or anytime—visit www.blueberrycounciLorg.
