Here in the San Francisco Bay area the market is starting to get really colorful with sweet, tart and juicy fruit. It's already strawberry season and a variety of oranges have been hanging around for a while. This past weekend we picked up both - the strawberries were gone within hours. You just can't leave those sweet beauties sitting around for long!

We also picked up a few naval oranges. Oranges are fantastic to keep on hand for a quick snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and provide you with a ton of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals. One orange supplies nearly 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C! Sounds like it should be more like an orange a day keeps the doctor away (no offense apples). Plus, the pectin in oranges possesses properties that can lower cholesterol levels.

After all those health benefits how can it get any better, you ask? Hold on to your hat!

Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids which (flaxseed oil contains nearly twice the level of omega-3 fatty acids as fish oil). They have been shown to have cancer fighting properties and can be helpful in reducing cholesterol.

I'm sure you've heard of all the incredible health benefits of flax seeds and flax seed oil. You might even take a daily flax seed oil supplement. I always have a bag of ground flax on hand in my fridge and have been throwing it into our occasional smoothie or in oatmeal.

But, why stop there?

Last night I gave Dani a bit of a shock when I added a tablespoon of ground flax to a few cut up oranges. But, after a face that said "ewww, that looks gross" she took a bite a was pleasantly surprised. Tonight I was asked "where's the flax seed stuff?" after cutting up some oranges after dinner.

STORING FLAXSEED
Flaxseed can be purchased whole or already ground. Whole flaxseed has a longer shelf life and can be stored in an air tight container in your pantry. Ground flaxseed should be stored in your refrigerator or freezer in an air tight container as they can oxidize easily and spoil.

USING FLAXSEED
A typical serving of ground flaxseed is 1 or 2 tablespoons daily. It is recommended to use ground flax over whole flax because you digest the ground version more easily. It's possible that your body doesn't completely digest the whole flax and then you don't get as many of the nutritional benefits. If you prefer you can buy whole flaxseed and grind it in a clean coffee grinder.

COOKING IDEAS

• When adding ground flaxseed to cooked cereal or grain dishes, do so at the end of cooking. The soluble fiber in the flaxseed can thicken liquids if left too long and you may lose some of the nutritional benefits
• Add ground flaxseed to your homemade muffins, cookies, pizza dough or bread recipes
• Add ground flaxseed to cut up fruit or smoothies
• Sprinkle cooked veggies with flaxseed to add a nuttier flavor
• Add ground flaxseed to salads, homemade pesto or sauces