The UnPaula Breakfast Sandwich

I saw this "deadly" breakfast sandwich posted on SideDish while on vacation, as a matter of fact it was while I was enjoying a fresh "Michigan Blueberries" breakfast sandwich (pictured left). It's just an Einstein Cinnamon Sugar bagel, 2 tablespoons (honestly) of reduced-fat cream cheese and lots of fresh blueberries - a half will fill anyone. Calorie count for a half sandwich is 206, and you get some of your fresh fruit and dairy requirements. If you're missing the sweetness of the glazed donuts, I've included a garnish of the herb Stevia, a zero calorie sweetener.

Wondering as I enjoyed this creation, was why it is so difficult to get Michigan produce here (blueberries, black cherries, apples, corn-on-the-cob) in Dallas? Shopping locally revealed berries from Washington state and British Columbia, they had to travel much further and over mountain ranges to get here. I called friend Carl (Hey Baby!) LaBarba of American FoodService, supplier of many upscale restaurants and grocers in the area. Per Carl, "Early summer, we have the Texas blueberries in, and we try to keep it on a local level for freshness. The northeast market consumes much of the upper midwest supply, saving on their cost of freight which adds cost to the product."

Carl also mentioned that food safety has become a huge concern, it could drive some local producers out of business since distributors are beginning to require liability insurance coverage. This is a cost that many small farmers cannot bear and many distributors are unwilling to forego given the recent food contamination cases.