Family. Food. Time.

A delicious feast was enjoyed then, and again yesterday, also today!

Tomorrow I shall make something of what is left. Here’s what we had… Continue reading →

Wow. I knew it had been a while, but I didn’t realize it had been THIS long! So sorry, food lovers! Life got in the way, it happens. I haven’t stopped cooking and trying new foods by any means though, I have pictures as proof…
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This cake is the perfect patriotic dessert. It looks great and it’s not hard to make!

What you need:

Strawberries (Approx. 1 pint. Reserve some for garnish)
Blueberries (Approx. 1 pint. Reserve some for garnish)
Sugar   1/4 cup
Sponge shortcake, cooled (click for recipe)
Simple syrup (click for easy how-to)
Whipping cream  1 pint
Powdered sugar   2 or 3T, or to your taste

What to do:

Slice strawberries and place in bowl. Place blueberries in separate bowl. Sprinkle 1/8c. sugar over strawberries, 1/8c. over blueberries and let sit, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, begin whipping the whipping cream. Add powdered sugar and continue to whip until it is stiff. (Run the handle of a wooden spoon through the cream. If the “ditch” left behind stays unmoved, it is ready!)
Fill pastry bag with a large star tip with whipped cream. (If you don’t have one, use a large food storage bag and cut the corner off!)

I like to chop some larger and some smaller pieces.

Smash a few of the blueberries and stir it all up!

Slice cake into 3 layers. Place top layer upside down on serving plate. Brush with simple syrup. Pipe a ring of whipped cream around the outer edge of the cake layer, so the berries will stay inside. Stir strawberries, then spoon into the center of the cake and spread evenly.

Place the middle layer of cake on top, press down very lightly. Brush with simple syrup. Pipe another border of whipped cream and fill with blueberries.

At this point you can gently straighten the layers if it isn't even.

Place the last layer of cake on top, upside down, and press down lightly. Using a spatula or butter knife, spread a very thin layer of whipped cream over entire cake. (This will help the next step to stay more easily.)

Starting at the bottom of the cake, pipe lines up the sides of the cake, making sure they go over the top (That’s so they don’t slide back off!)

Have fun with the decorations, here's how this one started off, each time I make it different!

When sides are done, even out the top with your spatula and finish with a decorative border.

Cut strawberries in slices and dip in simple syrup, arrange on cake, then place one blueberry in the center of each strawberry. Pipe more whipped cream between the berries.

My favorite so far, from last year. I also used a bigger star tip for the piping on this one!

For a more elegant look, pipe a zigzag pattern on top of the cake. Slice reserved strawberries in half. Dip in simple syrup, arrange around top of cake. Toss reserved blueberries in a small amount of simple syrup to coat, and arrange them on top of cake.

You could also make the traditional flag design on a rectangular cake, or whatever you like, there are no rules here!  It will be delicious however you decorate it, so just have fun with it! Then wait for the oohs and aahs when you slice this lovely red, white and blue delight!

Finished! So light, fresh and delicious!

Notes: It is helpful to refrigerate for at least an hour after assembling the cake, this will help the whipped cream to set up and your cake won’t wiggle as much if you need to transport it!

It can even be made the day before, just don’t put the berries on top until shortly before you serve it.

If you prefer, instead of piping the sides, you can either leave them open, or frost the whole thing normally. Any of those look lovely as well!

However you do it, enjoy, and have a safe and happy holiday!

What you need:

3 eggs
1 c. sugar
6 Tbsp. cold water
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1½ tsp. baking powder

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Beat eggs, vanilla and water until thick and lemon colored.
Add sugar. Mix flour and baking powder together, then sift over the egg mixture and fold in gently until well mixed.
Bake in a buttered and floured 9″ cake pan for 30-35 minutes, or until top springs back when touched.

This is the base for my festive Red White and Blue cake – a layered strawberry and blueberry shortcake. Try it with other fruits too, it’s not JUST for holidays! Tastes great with peaches!

I  have come to the conclusion that if you want your family to eat more fruit, it’s not enough just to have it in the house! You have to feed it to them! Treat it just like the rest of the food..prep it, plate it, make it look special, and viola! They will love it…a case study:

We had a big fruit bowl filled with mostly apples and pears, plus bananas on the hook, and half of them went uneaten.  This is fine for bananas, they become delicious banana bread! The rest were wasted.    So when we next bought some fruit, grapes, a pineapple, some peaches, I decided this was not going to happen again! Now when I make breakfast, there’s a slice or two of pineapple and a couple strawberries on the plate! Or, instead of having an extra biscuit, instead we have a nice bowl of fruit, ready to eat, like so!

It doesn’t seem like much, and it’s beyond easy to do, but it makes all the difference.

Now I just need to remember to do this more often myself! 

Nothing beats a cool crisp veggie wrap on a hot summer day! Not only are these easy to make, they also travel well, so they’re great for a picnic!
Here’s what you need:

Large flour tortillas
Hummus (your favorite flavor, sometimes I mix flavors together!)
Lettuce
Carrots and celery, cut in thin spears
Sliced cucumber
Sprouts (Any kind will work, lately we’ve been using organic pea shoots!)
Cream cheese

How to make:
Spread a good layer of hummus in the middle of each wrap (leave at least an inch border for less mess when rolling)
Scatter a handful of sprouts on top
Lay carrots and celery on top of sprouts
Layer cucumber slices next, then top with a large leaf of lettuce or two.
Spread cream cheese along the edge on one side, this will be the “glue” that will keep your wrap neatly closed.

Starting opposite the cream cheese, fold the wrap over the veggies, then fold the two sides over.
Keeping it snug, roll up tightly, the cream cheese will seal it up for you!

For a nice presentation, cut in half on an angle.
Or wrap individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Great to make ahead for picnics or lunches!

Mix it up:

Add spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, or whatever your family loves and make it your own!

After browsing many recipes online & off, I came upon exactly what I was looking for…a simple but delicious banana bread without a lot of extra stuff added.

Thank you Elise at Simply Recipes for this most perfect recipe! I have lost track of how many times I have made it…we buy too many bananas on purpose now just so we have an excuse to make it even more often!

It comes out perfect, every time!

The recipe…   Perfect Banana Bread:

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Makes one loaf.

We have taken to eating half immediately, then saving the other half for the next day, when it becomes banana bread french toast! So delicious!

Definitely try this recipe, and check out Simply Recipes for TONS of great recipes! I get ideas from there quite often, whatever you’re craving, chances are she has an excellent recipe for it!