Leelanau Peninsula is Cherry Country

I am in cherry country!  I had to pull off the road on my way back from the lavender farm to photograph these cherries hanging from the trees.  They looked too good to be true.  Aren't they beautiful?

It seems like every branch of every tree is loaded with bright red cherries.

And I mean loaded - look at the tree above! 

There is a whirl of data about the benefits of eating tart cherries and while they are great in a pie (try my recipe here), I have found a way to add them to my diet that is more daily than dessert.

My source for adding a bit of cherry year round is Michelle's Miracle.  She makes a tart cherry concentrate that I keep in my refrigerator and can add a tablespoon to my daily drink of sparkling water mixed with a few inches of cranberry juice.  It's refreshing and it makes me feel like I am doing something wonderful for my all of my cells.  It's not scientific, but I like it.