Did you see my post about National Buttermilk Biscuit Day? Looking for something quick and easy to spread on that delicious, hot-from-the-oven biscuit? How about my 10 minute Blueberry Jam. Yeah, just 10 minutes – that is all you need! Sound easy enough?
Check out my post at The Georgia Blueberry Commission today for the recipe.
My husband LOVES brownies. It really is the way to his heart. 
So, when I was approached by SincerlyNuts.com, I new right away what I would use their pistachios for! BROWNIES.
Although brownies are a decadent, indulgent dessert, they actually have many health benefits when paired with pistachios. {I’ve peaked your interest now, right?}. I made these brownies with fresh milled WHEAT FLOUR. Great for so many reasons – read here. Also, I used GOOD, dark chocolate cocoa – great antioxidants. I paired these brownies with unsalted pistachios. Pistachios have 100mg of omega-3s per ounce {this is great since the Western diet is high in bad Omega 6 fats and low in good for you Omega 3′s}. Pistachios also are rich in vitamin B6.
So, while they aren’t really HEALTH food, you don’t have to feel bad about having a small serving of these brownies. Everything in moderation, right?
These brownies aren’t that hard to make either and YOU control the REAL ingredients instead of using those chemical laden mixes in a box that contain a bajillion ingredients.
4 eggs
1 cup sugarhoney granules OR organic cane sugar
1 cup sucanat {or brown sugar}
2 sticks of salted organic, pastured butter, melted
1 1/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup whole wheat flour {I used fresh milled flour – if using fresh milled flour use 1 cup}
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Beat the eggs until fluffy. Sift the two sugars and add them in. Mix. Sift in the cocoa and the flour and then add the remaining ingredients. Mix to combine.
Pour the batter into a buttered 9×12 pan. Top with chopped pistachios.
Bake for 45 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature for easier slicing…if you can resist temptation.
SincerlyNuts.com, the online destination for premium nuts, dried fruit, seeds chocolate & snacks delivered right to your door at the lowest prices around. They have a wide variety of flavors to satisfy any of your cravings including roasted, salted, jalapeno, garlic, chili lemon, hickory, salt & pepper. Check them out here: Pistachios. Each delicious flavor comes in a variety of sizes ranging from 1LB bag to 25LB case.
Disclosure: I received free product in order to create this recipe.
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I have an obsession with egg rolls. They are the perfect little package. I love to experiment with new fillings for egg roll wrappers. They are delicious both savory and sweet. I almost always keep a package of egg roll wrappers in my fridge. I use them to put leftover bits of this or that and eat them for lunch.
Sometimes I hit a home run like with these buffalo chicken egg rolls, breakfast egg rolls, and apple pie egg rolls.
This week I made another delicious discovery: strawberry egg rolls.
Why strawberries? Because it is strawberry season of course! Local, in season fruits and veggies are always tastier and more affordable! So, stock up! There are tons of ways to use them! Some of my favorite simple ways to use them are as a topping for pancakes, waffles, and crepes, dipped in cream cheese, and mixed in lemonade.
Where can you get strawberries right now? Just about anywhere. Walmart is featuring them this month, you’re sure to get a good price there. I also love to go picking strawberries in my home town at the strawberry patch. But, I recommend looking for organic since strawberries are on the dirty dozen list. They are one of the most heavily pesticide sprayed fruits.
1 lb. strawberries cut into small bites
1/2 cup of sugar
1 package of egg roll wrappers
Fresh whipped cream {optional}
1/3 cup of coconut oil
Place chopped strawberries and sugar into a saucepan along with about 1/4 cup of water. Simmer until most of the liquid is cooked out and the strawberries are soft. Then, allow the strawberries to cool.
Place a small scoop of strawberries into the middle of an egg roll wrapper. Fold in the opposite corners and then roll the egg roll up. Seal the final end with a bit of water.
Repeat this method until you have enough egg rolls or you run out of filling. 
Heat coconut oil in a cast iron skillet. Shallow fry the egg rolls rolling them around so that they get cooked on all sides.
Serve with fresh whipped cream if you desire.
Looking for more ways to use up all those seasonal berries? Try these other recipes on my blog:
Homemade Strawberry Breakfast Tarts
Strawberry Breakfast Buns
Strawberry Crumble
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a product sample and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own.
I love peanut butter. Really. By the spoonful. Mmmm…
Okay, I am back with my spoonful of peanut butter. And, I have to tell you about these peanut butter cookies. They are simple, and you can make up a pan full and freeze the rest for another time. {I LOVE to do this with cookies dough. I just go ahead and prescoop the cookies onto a cookie sheet and then freeze until hard. Then, I add them to a freezer bag and we can have fresh, homemade cookies ANYTIME}. I like to make them one pan at a time for portion control. Otherwise we’ll eat WAY too many cookies.
I made these peanut butter cookies with Peanut Butter and Co.’s “Smooth Operator” peanut butter. It is out of this world! I love their other flavors too, especially the “Smooth Operator,” and “White Chocolate Wonderful.”
What makes peanut butter cookies EVEN BETTER? Frozen Yogurt. Sandwiched between TWO peanut butter cookies.
This frozen yogurt couldn’t be any easier either. I make homemade organic ice cream and while it is delicious, it is labor intensive with heating the milk, tempering the eggs, refrigerating for several hours or up to a day. Frozen yogurt is nothing like that. It is EASY. Like make it in 5 minutes and then freeze it. That easy.
2 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter {such as Peanut Butter and Co’s Smooth Operator}
1 1/2 cups of firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar, and baking powder until well blended. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on low speed until just blended {about 30 seconds}.
Scoop out heaping tablespoons onto parchment paper prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies for about 11 minutes {until the cookies are puffed, crackled, but still moist. Allow cookies to cool.
1 {32 oz} container of Stonyfield French vanilla Whole Milk Yogurt
1/2 cup powdered or superfine sugar
3 Tbsp of corn syrup
Place all the ingredients into the blender and blend until well mixed. Pour ingredients into your ice cream freezer and viola! Follow the directions on your ice cream freezer to know how long to freeze the frozen yogurt.
Place a spoonful between two peanut butter cookies.
I will admit, these may not be the healthiest popsicles I make. However, if you are looking for a little summer time treat, these are a real hit with my family and have been a hit since I was a kiddo. This recipe comes from MY mama. She used to make these for my brother and I…and I still love them. So, these little fudgsicles make me smile because they bring back yummy memories for me each time I make them for my kids.
You can make these in an ice cube tray like I did here {isn’t this a cool, perfectly cubed tray!} with some foil and picks. Or, you can use popsicle molds. Another option is paper bathroom cups and popsicle sticks with foil. I’ve left some links at the bottom of this post to the same ice cube tray if you like this one and a link to some popsicle molds that my kids love {perfect for little hands – I have TWO!}.
1 small box of chocolate instant pudding
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups of milk {I recommend raw or organic grass fed milk}
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and pour into molds or ice cube trays. Easy peasy! If you are using ice cube trays, cover them with foil and pop a pick or popsicle stick through each popsicle.
If you are looking for a healthier popsicle, another one of my kids favorites is strawberry pineapple. I blend a handful of strawberries and add a splash of pineapple juice. The sweetness of the pineapple makes them sweet. My kids gobble them up!
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I set out to produce a toaster pastry that would be similar to the processed ones that so many school children (and hurried adults) eat for breakfast. But, there was one main difference I wanted to achieve…no chemicals or ingredients you can’t pronounce, only whole ingredients.
This little kitchen experiment taught me a big lesson. If we had to MAKE all of the junk food we wanted to eat…we’d eat a lot less of it. My family has done our best to kick processed foods but sometimes it finds its way back into our house no matter how hard I fight it. But, that led me to thinking about how my great grandmother didn’t have that problem. Grocery stores looked a whole lot different then. All of these colorful boxes of “food like substances” {not real food…more like a science experiment} didn’t arrive until much later. They promised a life what would be much easier…convenient.
I have a theory {one that can be backed up with a lot of facts} that much of our health problems come from our idleness. Because we’ve relinquished the duty of preparing food for our families from whole ingredients to the big companies who will gladly sell you a box of their latest science experiment promising you more free time we eat a lot of CRAP and in the long run we’ve actually shortened our time on earth {through the ever growing list of diseases thanks to our food system} rather than earned that “free time.”
Cooking real food from scratch doesn’t have to take all day… or all night. In fact, most meals I make take 30 minutes or less. But, if you choose to make a special dessert or fancy pastry it does take time…extra time. That’s not to say there isn’t a time for that. Making a fancy dessert or meal that takes a little longer for a special occasion can be fun and can even be turned into family time as you allow your children to help. But, if we MADE dessert every time we wanted it, we’d be in a lot better shape!
Okay, so with that said, these breakfast tarts are a labor of love. And, while this novelty turned into something quite delicious, made from WHOLESOME ingredients – all ingredients you can purchase at your regular grocery store – like Walmart. Wholesome is not to be confused {or synonymous} with HEALTHY. Healthy these are not… including two sticks of butter and some sugar. But, I think a little butter and sugar is fine every now and then…and again, if we had to make it when we wanted it… we’d only be having it every now and then!
For the filling:
1 11/2 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced {preferably organic}
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of water
1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbsp water
For the pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) salted butter, cut into pats {preferably organic, from grass fed cows}
1 large egg {preferably humanely raised, free range}
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk {preferably raw or organic, from grass fed cows}
1 additional egg for brushing on the pastry
Place flour, butter, salt, and sugar in the food processor, fitted with the blade. Pulse until the butter is incorporated well looking kind of crumbly.
With the food processor running pour in one egg and two tablespoons of milk slowly until the crumbly mixture “magically” turns into a lump of dough.
Place the dough in the fridge while you make the filling.
Put all the ingredients for the filling in a small sauce pot. Simmer until the filling is very thick. You don’t want it to be runny in the tarts. {It will resemble canned pie filing}.
Take the dough out of the food processor and separate it into two halves. Roll one half out on a heavily floured surface. The dough should be about 9×12. Cut the dough into 6 rectangles – each 3×4. Place the six rectangles on a greased cookie sheet. Divide the filling over the 6 pastries.
Roll the second sheet of pastry out the same as the first – 9×12. Cut it into 6 rectangles – each 3×4. Brush the edges of the first pastries {the ones with the filling on the cookie sheet} with the beaten egg. {This will be the glue that helps the pastry stay together}. Place the 6 pastries from the second batch on the top and then use a fork to mash the edges, sealing the two pastries together. Poke holes in the top of the pastries using a fork. This will allow the steam to escape and keep the tops from cracking.
Place the pastries in the freezer while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I’m a participant in the Walmart Moms Program. Walmart has provided me with a product sample and compensation for my time and efforts in creating this post. Participation in this program is voluntary and the opinions stated above are entirely my own
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Apples are in season and I’ve been searching for new ways to enjoy them. But, no matter where I look, my homemade caramel sauce is still my favorite (although there are a few other tasty ways I’ve found that I’ll share soon!). Warm caramel is a tasty treat with fresh cut apples or poured over vanilla ice cream. Heck, just about anything is good with warm caramel!
1 c. sugar
1/4 cup water
2 T. corn syrup
pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 t vanilla
Boil sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a sauce pan over medium-high heat, swirling occasionally. Cook until caramel is the color of iced tea (about 10 minutes). Add cream, whisking to combine. Quickly turn off heat and then whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer sauce to a cool bowl.
You’ll be surprised how easy this is! I had never tried anything like this until la couple years ago and I was thrilled with the result the very first time! Once you add the cream it “magically” turns to caramel! It is amazing…and DELICIOUS!
We’ve been enjoying it over apples and ice cream.
I told you last week that I was searching for a replacement for my Hershey’s chocolate syrup. It has High Fructose Corn Syrup … a deal breaker for my whole food pantry/fridge makeover. I’m trying my best to find replacements for the last few bad guys hanging out in my fridge and pantry. I’ve recently had a fire lit under my butt and I’ve gotten serious about it again.
So, after sharing my fridge with you and a group of ladies I feel is very knowledgeable about this subject, a new friend, Amanda put me on to a link for making my own. So, with her recommendation I set off to my kitchen to see if I had the necessary ingredients. And, guess what? I did! So, this little experiment turned out both successful AND frugal! Yay!
It took less than fifteen minutes to make (including locating the ingredients and bottling the finished product). Judah and Eliana both helped and Judah gladly became chief taste tester. And, he declared the new chocolate milk, “better than the other kind.” And, he asked if we could make this kind EVERY TIME! Hooray! I love it when the healthier version also turns out to be the TASTIER version!
I must say, this convenience food turned out to be very simple to make and will easily be my go to from now on. No more bottled chocolate syrup from the grocery store for me.
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Divine, Fair Trade)
1 cup water
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a small saucepan, add sugar, cocoa, and salt. Whisk together gently. Add water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool.
I poured mine into these little squeeze bottles. I purchased them in the cake/cookie decorating supply area. They are made for icing cookies with royal icing. You can also find squeeze bottles in most kitchen supply areas for things like ketchup and mustard. Store in the refrigerator.
For making chocolate milk, just add two teaspoons (more or less to taste) to an 8 oz. glass of milk.
Need something new to spice up your breakfast routine? I’ve got something that packs a protein punch, will be loved by your sweet tooth {or sweet toothed children}, and is fast enough {and portable enough} for you to snag on your way out the door to the office or taking the kids to school.
Don’t let the word “crepe” make you shiver with fear. They aren’t as hard as they sound. I’ve got a tired and true recipe. And, since this recipe has lots of eggs, Greek yogurt, and peanut butter – you’ll be fuller…longer! You’re going to love it!
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Stonyfield plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup corn starch
2 Tbsp cocoa powder {I used Divine: fair trade cocoa powder}
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs
3 Tbsp butter, melted {I like butter from grass fed cows}
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. {Crepe batter can be made the night before and placed in the fridge. Just reblend before using}.
Put a bit of butter into a ceramic coated pan {nonstick without Teflon like the one here}. Then pour a little bit of batter {or use a laddle to put a laddleful} into the pan over medium high heat. Once the crepe looks like it has cooked through you can peel it up with a plastic spatula {or if you do it like I do, with your fingers }. If you choose to, you can flip it over and cook it another 30 seconds on the other side, but it might not really need it if you pour the batter thin enough.
When the crepe is ready, spread a tbsp of peanut butter down the center and drizzle with some good local honey. Roll it up and run out the door!
My kids love these…here is a picture of Eliana on her second helping. If you like them a bit chocolatier, you can add more cocoa powder.
Divine is a 100% Fairtrade company, 45% owned by the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo in Ghana.
I received product for review and other compensation in exchange for this post. Of course, my family lives off of yogurt and Stonyfield happens to be one of the brands I love and trust…so this is an easy and honest review of a lovely product.
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I LOVE cinnamon rolls. Truth be told…I love bread. yeast bread. homemade. right out of the oven. Okay seriously, I may have to go bake some after writing this post. I’m making myself hungry!
That’s how this recipe was “born.” From my love of bread – and cinnamon rolls. Only, I decided to switch it up and add another favorite filling of mine – strawberries. Plus, my kiddos can’t get enough of them – they absolutely love berries. and bread. and jelly.
If you are familiar with how to make cinnamon rolls this is the same method.
Dough:
3/4 tsp yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup water
1 egg
Filling:
1 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 or 3 oz cream cheese
To make the filling, place strawberries, sugar, and water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and a bit of water in a bowl. Stir until there are no lumps then pour it into the pan with the strawberries. Boil for a minute or two, until the strawberries have thickened. Just before turning the strawberries off, add the vanilla. Then, remove the strawberries from the heat and allow to cool.
To make the dough, put milk, butter, and water in a glass measuring cup and heat for 30 seconds {or more}. The goal is to get the milk, butter, and water up to 100 – 110 degrees to activate the yeast {too cold or too hot are equally as ineffective}. Place yeast, sugar, and warmed milk, butter, and water into mixing bowl. Allow it to sit a few minutes. Add in the flour, sugar, and egg and beat together in your electric mixture fitted with a dough hook {or by hand with a spatula}.
Allow the electric mixture to knead the dough for a minute so that the dough is smooth and elastic. {Or, if you are mixing by hand, turn the dough out and knead by hand for approximately 8 minutes}.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Allow it to rise for an hour in a warm place. {I put mine in the oven. First, I turn the oven on for just a minute to get it warm – but not hot – in there. Then, I turn the oven off and put the dough in there with the door shut. It keeps it snug and warm }.
Prepare a glass baking dish with cooking spray (I like to use coconut oil spray but you can use what you like).
Transfer dough out onto your floured counter top and roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 9×13. Spread a horizontal stripe of cream cheese down the middle of the dough. Then, spread the strawberry filling out on the dough.
Roll the dough into a log. Then, slice the dough into about 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared dish. Cover loosely and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
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