Peach Hand Pies

My husband LOVES hand pies! It is a good thing I know how to make them or I would fear he loved them more than me! There is just something so amazing about being able to eat pie with your hands! If you haven't done that, you haven't lived! These are a breakfast food as well as dessert in my house!  I found the recipe for the peaches (the best!) here. I always use my favorite pie crust (see below). Now, get going!

Peach Hand Pies
(about 20)

Pie Crust

(adapted from Bon Appetite)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 t sugar

1/4 t salt

1 cup (2 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

6 T ice water (or more)

1 egg

1 T milk 

whisk this together

(this is for brushing on the dough)

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Add butter, rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles course meal.  Add 6 T ice water and toss with a fork until moist clumps form, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time if the mixture is too dry.  Gather dough into a ball and flatten into two disks.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Roll out one disk at a time on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out as many 4 inch circles as you can. Repeat with other disk.  While the dough disks are in the fridge, make the peach filling. 

Peach Filling

5 medium to large peaches
1/2 cup sugar
2 T corn starch
1/2 t cinnamon
dash of salt
juice of 1/2 a lemon
a few drops of almond extract (this enhances the peach flavor!)

Peel and dice the peaching into 1/2" pieces. Place the diced peaches in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar. Toss to combine.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for an hour. After an hour, drain the juice into a medium sauce pan.  Set aside the diced peaches. Whisk in the cinnamon, cornstarch and salt.  Cook over medium heat until the syrup boils. Whisking constantly, cook for about 2 minutes or until the syrup thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and the almond extract.  Gently fold in the diced peaches and any extra juice.  Set aside to cool while you roll out the dough.

Icing
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 T milk
a few drops vanilla extract
a few drops almond extract


Putting it all together:

Preheat oven to 350. Take a 4 inch dough round to a lightly floured surface and brush it with the egg and milk mixture.  Place a Tablespoon of peaches in the middle and fold the sides up like a taco. Gently pinch the sides together starting at one end and working to the middle. Lay the hand pie on its side and seal the edges using the tines of a fork.  Poke a couple of holes in the top, using your fork, to vent it.  Place the hand pie on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and repeat with the remaining dough circles.  Bake the pies for 30 minutes or until golden at 350.  While they are baking, whisk together the icing.  When they are hot out of the oven, gently brush the pies with the icing.  Cool as long as you can!  They are so yummy warm!

** If you have left over peach filling (I always do) place the peaches in a small oven safe dish.  Mix together a couple tablespoons oats, a couple tablespoons melted butter, a dash of cinnamon and a couple tablespoons brown sugar.  Put this onto of the peaches and bake at 350 until bubbly and lightly browned!

Honey Crisp Apple Sauce (NO sugar)

I keep finding amazing recipes that have vanilla beans in them, so I guess that is what I am into right now!  I had  bunch of Honey crisp apples that had been in my fridge and just weren't getting eaten, {GASP}, I KNOW! I blame it on all the yummy Holiday treats that were EVERYWHERE I turned!  So when I came across this NO SUGAR apple sauce recipe, I knew it had to be done! I didn't miss the sugar one bit, it is so sweet and yummy on its own! I found the recipe here.

Honey Crisp Apple Sauce

5 Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 T vanilla bean paste, or 1 vanilla bean scrapped

Put all of this in a pot and stir to combine. Let simmer on your stove on Medium low for about 1-2 hours or until the apples are super soft.  You can also put all this in your slow cooker on low for about 4 hours.  I used an immersion blender to blend to desired consistency.  It is great warm or cold!  It will store in your fridge for about 2 weeks or you can can it using a water bath! I doubled mine and got about 4 cups (I forgot to measure). I will definitely being doing bigger batches to can in the future!

Apple Crisp Pie

I don't usually make pie. Not because I don't like it, I am just not very good at it. But this recipe has given me new hope! I LOVE this pie, it is probably the only one I will ever make again, it is that good! I can't for the life of me remember where I got the recipe, so please forgive me for not giving credit where credit is due, especially with such an amazing recipe! 

Apple Crisp Pie

(makes one pie)

1 homemade or store bought pie crust (I use this recipe)

5 1/2 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (my fav is honey crisp)

1 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3 T flour

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Topping

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375.  Fit pie crust into the pie plate.  

In a large bowl, gently mix sliced apples, lemon juice, both sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Once it is blended well, pour into the pie crust.

Prepare topping by mixing all the ingredients for the topping in a medium bowl with a pastry cutter or a fork until coarsely crumbled and all the dry ingredients are incorporated.  Sprinkle the topping over the apple mixture in the prepared pie crust.

Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. (If your crust starts to get too brown, cover just the crust with foil and continue baking.  The pie will be bubbly around the edges when it is done.  Let the pie cool (if you can).  It will set up as it cools! Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you so desire, but why wouldn't you?!?

Peach Cobbler Muffins with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Peach season is one of my favorite times of year! Late summer, not quite fall, last Saturday before school starts time of year.  I used this muffin base with chocolate chips and kept thinking to myself, this is all wrong!  It needs peaches, not chocolate chips!  So a couple of days later I added fresh diced peaches and vanilla bean glaze.  And like magic, these muffins were born!  They will made as many times as possible during this most delicious season!  Happy going back to school!

Peach Cobbler Muffins with Vanilla Bean Glaze

(12 muffins)

2 cups flour

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

1 large peach (or two small ones) peeled and diced small

Vanilla Bean Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2 T milk

1/2 t vanilla bean paste (you can use vanilla extract too)

For the muffins:

Preheat the oven to 400.  Grease muffin pan or use liners.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugars, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, coconut oil and vanilla bean paste.  I add the coconut oil to the warm butter and stir them together to melt the coconut oil.  

Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix until almost all the flour is absorbed.  Add the diced peaches and gently fold them in until they are incorporated and the flour is all absorbed.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.  While the muffins are cooking make the glaze.  

For the Glaze:

Place all the glaze ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth.  While the muffins are still hot, drizzle glaze over the muffins.  Let them cool for 5-10 minutes.  Serve warm!

Orange Dream Machine (Our Version)

Our boys wake up almost every Saturday and ask to go to Jamba Juice. Their preferred flavor choice?  Orange Dream Machine. Everytime!! SO I finally decided I could probably make it cheaper and maybe even healthier.  Here is what I came up with and it has passed the taste test by every boy, including my husband!

Orange Dream Machine (Our Version)
(about 6 cups)

2 cups Orange Juice
1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I used Honey flavored, if using plain you will need to add more sweetener)
1 scoop (2 oz) vanilla protein powder
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 T agave, or more to desired sweetness
3 cups of ice, or until desired consistency
2 Calamondin oranges (optional, I happen to have a tree.  They are really small about the size of a large grape) You could add 1/2 of a mandarin or a couple slices of a regular orange.

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Adjust ice for consistency and agave for sweetness.

Puffy Pancakes with Berries

These have been a favorite of my husband's since high school.  So, when I came across this version with berries in it, I was excited!  They have become the new favorite in our house and are requested daily!  They are quick and easy and you can make them with or without berries! We like ours with powdered sugar and syrup.

Puffy Pancakes with Berries

(4 servings)

3 T butter

3/4 cup flour

1/4 t salt

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 t vanilla

1 cup berries (fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries or blackberries or a combination)

Preheat oven to 450.  Once it is hot, place better in a cast iron pan (or just an oven safe glass pan) and place it in the oven to heat up and melt the butter.  

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.  In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth.

Remove the hot pan from the over (the butter should be bubbly, but not burned).  Pour the batter into the hot pan and then add the berries.  Return the pan to the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes until nicely browned and puffy around the edges. 

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Cut into pieces and serve with syrup.

Gourmet Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

These are always impressive and always delicious (and SUPER easy! Shhhhh, don't tell!)  I made these for the boys in my life on this stay-at-home-with-3-sick-kids Valentine's Day!  They are so easy my 3 year old helped me do them!  So, no excuses!  These puppies can be $1 a piece at candy stores! (I have totally posted this before, but these are GOURMET, hence the nuts and coconut!)

Gourmet Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Fresh strawberries, washed and dried (leave the stems on for dipping)

Good chocolate (I always use Ghirardelli) milk chocolate, white chocolate, or semi-sweet 

nuts, chopped fine (I used pecans)

coconut

mini chocolate chips

toffee bits

oil

Line a cookie sheet or two with wax paper, set aside. Mix chocolate chips with about 1 t oil per cup of chips in a sauce pan.  Heat over LOW heat stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Repeat process with as many different kinds of chocolate as you want to use. (I used milk and white for these).  I always melt my chocolate stove top, I have more control this way and I have found it helps the chocolate to not seize (especially the white chocolate).  Dip the washed and dried strawberries in the chocolate one at a time and then roll in what ever toppings you want, or a mixture of them.  Place dipped strawberries on wax paper. Let them sit for a couple of minutes and then drizzle with alternating kids of chocolate if desired.  I just use a spoon with a side to side motion.  Try it first over a separate piece of wax paper to get the feel for it.  Let the strawberries set up completely.  I find this is best in a cool place or the fridge. Store extras in the fridge for a few days.

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

I have a love affair with muffins.  I could eat them everyday, although I try my best not to!  I also have a love affair with fresh blueberries, Michigan has taught me this.  So when I first saw these, I just couldn't resist (I did adapt the recipe though)!  The first batch I made I kinda forget to put in the egg (yes I am losing my mind, it goes a little more with each child I have) and had to add it AFTER the blueberries.  Lets just say they tasted great but the dull blue color just wasn't very appetizing to photograph.  But the whole thing made for a fantastic excuse to make muffins again!  He, he, he!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

(makes 12 muffins)

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup sugar

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

2 T sugar

1/4 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400.  Grease or paper line a muffin pan. 

In a bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients.  In another bowl mix together water, oil, egg and vanilla.  Stir this into the dry ingredients until just moistened.  Gently fold in the blueberries.  (Do NOT defrost frozen blueberries)

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full.  Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the batter in the muffin pan.  Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Blueberry Syrup

Every summer we go blueberry picking.  We pick TONS!  And this is why!  They are super easy to freeze and freeze really well. Then all year (ok, they totally don't last that long!) We can make super yummy blueberry recipes with the fresh, frozen berries we picked over the summer.  So on this wonderfully sunny, Sunday morning in Michigan we made blueberry syrup to top delicious waffles and fresh whipped cream!  Heaven, pure heaven!

Blueberry Syrup

(2 1/2 cups of syrup)

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 t fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 t vanilla

1 t cornstarch (mixed with 2 t water)

Mix all the ingredients, except the cornstarch, in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium high, stirring constantly, until it boils.  Once the berries are boiling mix the cornstarch with the 2 t water and mix to dissolve.  Add the cornstarch to the boiling berries and stir to combine.  Reduce the heat and let the berries simmer until the syrup is thickened and no longer milky.  Serve warm over waffles, pancakes, ice cream, or what ever else needs some blueberry syrup!

Caramel Apples or Apple Dip

I am still working through this HUGE bunch of apples we picked, so I thought I would put up another apple recipe.  Who doesn't love a caramel apple?  I found this recipe on the newsletter of one of my favorite authors.  Her name is Marcia Lynn Mcclure, she writes clean romance novels.  The stories are always fantastic, usually set sometime in history.  They are totally sappy, cheesy, love stories and I just eat them up!  Total eye candy for me!  Anyway, apparently this recipe is one that Marcia's mom made all the time, and I can totally see why!  Now I have amazing caramel apples to enjoy while I read a Marcia book! The great this is this recipe can either be caramel apple dip or you can dip whole apples in it. Either way you won't be disappointed and you may never go back to unwrapping those store bought caramels again!

Caramel Apples or Apple Dip

(makes 10 caramel apples)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/8 t salt

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter

1 t vanilla

10 medium apples

Popsicle sticks

waxed paper

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to very, very soft ball stage (for dip) and soft ball stage* for dipping apples.  Once it is at this stage, remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla and completely combined.

For apple dip serve with sliced apples.

For caramel apples wash and dry apples.  Insert a Popsicle stick into to top of each apple and set aside.  Place a length of wax paper on a cookie sheet, butter the wax paper and sprinkle it with sugar (this is very important, caramel apples will stick to the wax paper otherwise). Once my caramel reached the soft ball stage I continued stirring for a few moments until the caramel was a good caramel color (do not do this for too long or your caramel will be too hard). Then I stirred in the butter and vanilla. I let my caramel cool slightly, (when I tried to dip the apples right away, the caramel just slide off the apple).  I let the caramel sit for about 2 minutes and then the caramel was perfect.  Set the dipped apples onto the wax paper and let them set up.  You can leave them like this or you can go on to dip them in melted chocolate, drizzle them with chocolate, decorate them with nuts, sprinkles, or coconut, etc.

*Soft ball stage can be determined with a candy thermometer OR if you are like me and don't have one, just get a small bowl filled with ice water and drop a small amount of the bubbling caramel into it.  If you can pick up the caramel out of the water and it holds together in a soft ball, it is ready!

Apple Crisp

This time of year makes me think of comfort food and apples and trees that look like they are on fire with color.  Michigan in the Fall is AMAZING!  I am really going to miss it!  One of our favorite Fall activities is picking our own apples and pumpkins at one of the many orchards around here.  So with apples coming out of our ears, I of course turn to dessert to use some of them up.  Apple crisp is one the top of my apple dessert list, especially when it has extra crumble on top and good vanilla ice cream melting over the top.  Hungry yet?  Ok, here is the recipe... I found it over at the Parsley Thief. (I did alter it just a bit)

Apple Crisp
(10 servings)

6 apples, peeled and cored (I used Fuji, fresh off the tree)
1 t lemon zest
1 T lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg

Crumble topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 t salt
1 cup oatmeal
2 sticks cold butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350.  Slice the apples into bite sized chunks.  Place in a large mixing bowl and combine with the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Toss to combine and pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

In the bowl of a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal and butter.  Beat on low for for 1-2 minters until the butter is incorporated and the mixture crumbles.  You can also do this with a pastry cutter or your fingers.  Sprinkle all the crumbles evenly over the apple mixture.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 1 hour, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are bubbling.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Strawberry-Lime Cream Cake

The one (and ONLY) good thing about having another birthday is getting to make a cake and eat it too! Or in this case having my husband make my cake! I am seriously loving berries and citrus right now so when I saw this cake over at My Kitchen Cafe, I knew it was meant for me! We modified it a little bit. Here is the original and here is what we did...

Strawberry-Lime Cream Cake
(12 servings, or less if you are like me and need more for yourself!)

white cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 t vanilla
4 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans.  Line the pans with a circle of parchment paper on the bottom and then grease the parchment paper.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the buttermilk, butter and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.  Add egg whites and  beat for 2 more minutes.  Scraping the sides as needed.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 28-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs on it.  Do NOT over bake, this will cause the cake to be dry.  Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Loosen the sides with a butter knife and remove the cakes from the pans to cool completely.

Strawberry Syrup/puree
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
4 T sugar
1 t lemon juice
combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth

Lime Cream:
4 limes, for 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Zest and juice the limes into a medium bowl.  You should have about 1/2 cup of lime juice.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Add the whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble to the cake, cut each cake in half horizontally making 4 cake circles. Place one cake circle on a cake plat and top with 1/3 of the berry puree.  Next, put 1/4 of the lime cream over the berries, spreading to within 1/4 inch of the edges.  Place another cake circle on top and repeat until all the cake circles are used.  Top the cake with the remaining 1/4 of the lime cream and garnish with fresh strawberries and lime slices.  Chill the cake for 1-2 hours before serving to let the cake set up.

Blueberry Crisp

Last week we went on this AMAZING family reunion to a beautiful lake in Missouri called Table Rock Lake. We wound far back into rolling green hills and quaint farms to our cabins on the lake.  It was secluded, beautiful, relaxing and wonderful.  There was a you-pick berry farm a few miles away that we frequented throughout the week, coming back with blueberries and blackberries to garnish everything.  While at this farm we had a big bowl of the most delicious Blueberry Crisp with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  We were in blueberry heaven!  So when we got home, we just knew we couldn't wait until our next family reunion to get more of that amazing crisp.  I set out finding a recipe to rival it.  After looking through a million different recipe, I decided I would just give it a try with all the parts I loved the most.  This recipe is what I came up with, and yes, it rivals the one we had at that berry farm!
Besides, July is national Blueberry month, so go get some blueberries!

Blueberry Crisp

(6 servings)

4 cups FRESH blueberries (I guess you could use frozen if you absolutely can not find fresh ones)

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar 

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 t cinnamon

4 T butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup pecans, chopped 

1 t vanilla

a dash of nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x9 inch square pan or 2-quart baking dish.

Mix together the cornstarch and lemon juice and toss with the blueberries.  Spread these evenly into the prepared pan.

In a bowl, using a pastry blender or fork (I just use my hands), mix together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon,nutmeg, butter, oats, vanilla, and pecans until combined and crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over the blueberries in the pan.  

Bake for about 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling.  Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Strawberry Jam

This is the best stuff ever! I am so blessed to have a great garden and an amazing husband who LOVES gardening! So every June, we venture out and harvest a vast amount of these beautiful strawberries and can some jam. Last year the jam we canned lasted for just over 11 months. We ran out 2 weeks before our berries were ready. So, so cool! This is a very basic jam recipe and so great for first time canners. We used this recipe from Pioneer Woman (She has a great tutorial if you are a first timer). We cut the sugar in half. (Our berries were super sweet!)

Fresh Strawberry Jam

5 cups hulled, smashed strawberries (I like my jam smooth so I just run my strawberries through the food processor)

7 cups sugar (we used 3 1/2 cups)

4 T fresh lemon juice

1 package powdered fruit pectin (49g)

Place 8 or 9 sterilized (I just run through my dishwasher) 8-oz mason jars in a large hot water bath canner (not a pressure canner). Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Simmer center lids in a separate sauce pan of water.

Place smashed strawberries and lemon juice in a large pot. Stir in the pectin until it dissolves. Bring the strawberry mixture to a strong boil. Add sugar, then return to a full boil that can't be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute 15 seconds. Skim the foam off the top using a spoon and discard it.

Remove one jar at a time from the simmering water. Pour the water back into the pot. Using a wide mouth funnel, fill each jar with jam. Make sure to leave 1/4-inch of space at the top of each jar. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue or stickiness. Remove a middle lid from the simmering saucepan and position it on top. Put scewbands on the jar but do NOT over tighten! Repeat with the remaining jars, then place them on a canning rack and lower them into the water. Place the lid on the canner and bring the water back to a full boil. Boil hard for 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the water for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the water with a jar lifter and let them sit, untouched, for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the screwbands and check to make sure all the jars sealed. The center lids should have no give at all! If the seals are compromised, store those jars in the fridge. Otherwise wipe down the jars and store in your food storage or share with your friends!

Lemon Berry Trifle

I have had this recipe on my "to make" list for about a year! It is from My Kitchen Cafe, so I knew it would be amazing. But it also has a few steps so I wanted to wait and make it for a special occasion. So when we were trying to decide what to have for Easter dessert (the best part of any dinner, in my opinion!) I thought of this first. I made it again a week later for a baby shower.  Now, let me just tell you, it is worth the time and the many steps! Which, if you make the different parts a day or two in advance, which I did, it comes together lickity split! Just remember to let the finished product sit for a few hours in your fridge to blend together and saturate each other!

Lemon Berry Trifle
(serves 8-10)

Berries (can be made the day before and refrigerated)
4 cups berries (any triple berry combination works, fresh or frozen (if frozen thaw and drain before using)
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup sugar
2 t cornstarch

Combine the berries, sugar lemon juice, and cornstarch in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the berries start to break down, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Lemon Curd (can be made unto 3 days in advance)
4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons), strained
8 T butter (1 stick), cut into pieces
1 T grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

Strain the yolks and whole egg through a fine mesh strainer into a heavy medium sauce pan. Add the sugar and lemon juice and whisk to combine.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon.  This takes about 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated.  Stir in the lemon zest.  Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.  Store in an airtight container until chilled through or for up to 3 days.

Lemon Cream
3 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 recipe Lemon Curd (see above)

In a bowl, whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.  Whisk 1/4 cup of the whipped cream into the lemon curd to loosen it up.  Add the rest of the whipped cream to the curd and fold in gently.  Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Lemon Pound Cake (can be made the day before or made and frozen for longer)
(this makes two rounds and I only used one for my trifle, I froze the other one for later use)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 t lemon zest
2 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325.  Butter and dust with flour 2 round cake pans.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Place the butter in a large bowl and beat until soft, using a hand mixer. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy (1-2 minutes).  Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one.  Add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Mixing well after each addition.  Stir in the lemon juice and zest.

Pour the batter into the 2 prepared pans.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean 35-45 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.

The Assembly


To assemble the trifle, spoon a layer of lemon cream on the bottom of a trifle bowl.  Add a layer of pound cake. You may need to break the pound cake slices into smaller pieces and jigsaw them together to fit.  Then drizzle on about 1/3 of the berry syrup.  Don't worry if it doesn't completely coat the pound cake - just drizzle it across and let the berries fall where they may.  Spoon a layer of lemon cream over the top, smoothing to the sides.  Repeat all the layers 2 more times finishing with a layer of lemon cream.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  It is best to let this set for several hours before serving.

Berry Buttermilk Muffins

I just want you to know that I am forgoing my shower to get this recipe to you! These muffins are that good {AND beautiful, don't you think?} My wonderful sister-in-law Teresa gave this recipe to me and I love her even more (if that is even possible) for it! Now, I already know she has great taste (we married brothers after all!) but I truly think we are soul sisters in food. My L.O.V.E. for muffins runs deep but these just brought it to a whole new level. Now that I have talked them up so much, you better get cooking!

Berry Buttermilk Muffins

(12 muffins)

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

zest of one orange (I used two cutie mandarin oranges)

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup oil

1 t vanilla

2 cups fresh or frozen berries (I used a frozen triple berry mix from Costco)

*sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg*- mixed together to sprinkle over the tops

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 12-muffin pan. In a bowl whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla and oil, set aside. In another large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange zest. Gently fold in the berries (mine were still frozen) until coated with flour mixture. Now, fold in the wet ingredients and mix carefully until the flour is absorbed being careful not to over mix (this will make tough muffins). Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg mixture. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean (it may be a little longer if your berries are frozen) . Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before taking them out of the pan.

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa

I am LOVING quinoa right now. It is so good for you and I just love the flavor and texture. It is so versatile and can be used for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I found this recipe on a website called 101 Cookbooks. This is such a wonderful, healthy breakfast I couldn't help but share it! I may have just found my new favorite breakfast!

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa

(4 servings)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

1 cup quinoa*

2 cups berries (I used a frozen triple berry mix, thawed)

1/2 t cinnamon

1/3 cup pecans, toasted (you can use whatever nuts you like)**

honey or agave, to taste

In a medium pan mix together milk, water and quinoa. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Add the berries and cinnamon and fold to combine. Top with nuts and honey.

*Some quinoa needs to be rinsed before using otherwise you get a bitter taste. I use Bob's Red Mill and have never had this happen but I know other brands can be bitter if not rinsed before using.

** To toast nuts place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and cook in a 350 oven for 5-7 minutes.

Fruit Pizza

This is one dessert that I have been making for a long time. It is easy, quick and oh so yummy! I also LOVE the way it looks and you can really change it up depending on what fruit you use.

Fruit Pizza

Sugar cookie dough (I use half a batch of these...but you can also used premade, store bought)

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream

8 oz cream cheese

Fruit (I LOVE berries on this... mango, kiwi and peaches are also wonderful)

Press cookie dough evenly into a tart pan (or cookie sheet) until about 1/2 inch thick. Bake according to directions for about 10 minutes or until golden around the edges and cooked in the middle. Let cool. Mix together the cream cheese and marshmallow cream until smooth. Spread the frosting on the cooled cookie. Slice the fruit and arrange onto of the frosting anyway you like.

*If you use a cookie sheet you will probably need the full batch of my sugar cookie dough. If you only use half the batch, do not cover the whole cookie sheet, it will be to thin.

Peanut Butter Banana Blender Drink

This has been a breakfast that has been in my life since I can remember. I loved it (and still do) and now my kids love it. It brings back memories, it's healthy, and can pack some protein. So what are you waiting for, make this for breakfast!

Peanut Butter Banana Blender Drink

(about 2 servings)

1 ripe banana

1 spoonful of peanut butter

1 cup of milk

1/4 t vanilla

protein powder (optional, but so good)

ice

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. These measurements are just a guess, I alter the amounts to taste. So, if you LOVE peanut butter, add more. If you like it thick add more ice. You get the point!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I have had these on my "to try" list for sometime. I keep seeing them pop up on different food blogs so I decided it was high time I gave these bad boys a try! Oh so glad I did! I may just never make apple crisp again...these are that good. I originally saw them on A Hint of Honey.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

(directions borrowed from A Hint of Honey)

INGREDIENTS 
Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Apples:
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Caramel Sauce:
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment paper 

(I just greased my pan and they worked just fine). Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

4. In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture.

5. To make the streusel, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, and butter with your fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the apples.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set.

7. To make the caramel sauce, whisk together the sugar and butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat until it melts. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Drizzle over cooled bars.

Fills a 9x13 pan.