Strawberries and Cream Cake

 

One of the recipes that we enjoyed over the weekend with our freshly picked strawberries is this Strawberries and Cream Cake. It is yellow cake, layered with sweetened strawberries, and topped with whipped cream. I took it to a friends house for a Memorial Day luncheon and it was devoured. Although this is just like Strawberry Shortcake, I have found that this travels more easily and it can be made up completely in advance. The leftovers will even keep in the refrigerator overnight.

My little one especially loves this Strawberries and Cream Cake. She even asked for it to be served as her birthday cake last year.

Cake

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 scant cup milk

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add half of the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add half of the milk. Add remaining flour and milk, mixing until thoroughly combined. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 350º for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Strawberries

2 cups of crushed strawberries
½ cup sugar (white or raw)

Stir together berries and sugar. Poke 15+ holes in cooled cake with the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour berries evenly over the cake. Let sit 15 minutes to soak into the cake.

Whipped Cream

2 cups of your favorite whipped cream recipe (my recipe can be found here)

Spread whipped cream evenly over the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

Confession: I made twice as much whipped cream as I needed and refrigerated it for later. The next day I used it to top a homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pie.

 

This post has been linked to Blissful and Domestic's Feature Friday.

Strawberries!

 

We are so excited to be in the middle of strawberry season here in North Carolina. The kids have looked forward to strawberry picking all winter and over the weekend, we headed to a local farm and picked two baskets full.

 

 

The kids had a blast running through the rows looking for the biggest and reddest strawberries that they could find. And, they were even more pleased to fit as many strawberries as possible into the above baskets. The strawberries were not sold by weight, but were a flat price. So, no matter how many you fit into your basket, it was still the same price. We saw some people with huge towers of precariously positioned strawberries in their baskets, and my kids took it as a challenge to do the same.

  

We came home and devoured as many strawberries as our bellies could handle and then I made jam. I put up 8 pints and we have already enjoyed it on homemade biscuits. We also shared our berries with friends at two different social events this weekend. And, I'll tell you more about those recipes soon.

Are you as excited about strawberry season as we are?

Fascinating Find - Two Ingredient Cookies

Last week I confessed to you that I have been trying to reduce my sugar intake. In my search for low sugar treats, I found this two ingredient cookie recipe. The cookies can be mixed up in seconds and you can add nuts, dried fruits, or chocolate chips for variety.

Pictured above is the pumpkin and oat version with chocolate chips, but I also tried the banana and oat version (also with chocolate chips). My kids preferred the pumpkin cookies, but I liked the banana cookies best. Although we ate these cookies as a dessert, they would also be good for breakfast. And, next time I make the pumpkin version, I plan to add some cinnamon.

You can find these recipes over at The Burlap Bag.

Banana and Oat Cookies
Pumpkin and Oat Cookies

Recipe Note: I have found that my cookies do not spread while baking, instead they remain the exact shape that I scoop out onto the pan. Next time, I will flatten them slightly after scooping them on to my baking pan.

Orange Dressing

Due to all of the fresh lettuce that my neighbor has been providing us, we have been eating lots of salads lately. I have gotten into the habit of making up a batch of dressing and using it little by little all week long. I tried this Orange Dressing for the first time a couple of weeks ago. And, it got two thumbs up with everyone at my house.

Although we tried the dressing on several different salad combinations, we definitely liked it best on a main dish salad with lettuce, chicken, sliced almonds, green onions, and mandarin oranges. I think that it would also be good on a pasta salad. 

Orange Dressing

¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (Dijon, Spicy Brown, etc.)
2 tsp. honey
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Measure all ingredients into a jar and cover tightly. Shake to combine. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This post has been linked to the Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Rosemary

 

Last week, my neighbor called me on her way home from work saying that a friend had given her a huge bunch of fresh rosemary. I was thrilled to take some off of her hands. So, tonight I made roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary. Yumm!

And, when I did my grocery shopping this morning, I was thrilled to find a whole chicken that was reduced for quick sale. (Perfectly in keeping with my New Year's Frugal Kitchen Goal.) It is going to be so tasty roasted with my fresh rosemary! How do you like to use rosemary?

 

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Homemade Onion Soup Mix

Our favorite dip for veggies, chips, and pretzels is Onion Dip. And, instead of purchasing dry onion soup mix to prepare the dip, I have been making my own for years. Many recipes also call for an envelope of dry onion soup mix and this homemade version can be used in place of the purchased mix. I like to use a couple of tablespoons of this as the seasoning in my Meatloaf sometimes too. And, the prepared onion dip is also great on baked potatoes!

Onion Soup Mix

¾ cup dried, minced onion
4 tsp. onion powder
1/3 cup bullion (beef or chicken)
¼ tsp. celery salt
¼ tsp. sugar

Measure call ingredients into a jar. Shake to combine. Two heaping tablespoons is equal to one envelope of onion soup mix.

For Onion Dip: Stir together 1 cup sour cream and 1 heaping tablespoon of mix.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Lately I have been watching my sugar intake. But, I still have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I began searching for some kind of satisfying treat. I have tried several recipes, and they have all been very tasty. However, this is my favorite one so far. 

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars have no sweetener of any kind. The dates add all of the sweetness. But, the dates are not the predominent flavor, the peanut butter is. My picky kids have no idea that this is a healthy dessert and I LOVE that! Eventually I would like to try this recipe with almond butter too. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup pitted dates
¾ cup natural peanut butter
½ cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
½ cup oats

Measure dates, peanut butter, coconut, and cocoa into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the dates are finely chopped. Add oats little by little until mixture forms a ball. Remove from processor and press into a samll baking dish (I use a 9x6 glass pan). Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Trail Mixes

My kids love trail mixes, and we are constantly trying new variations. The one pictured on the left is equal parts golden raisins, peanuts, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. My little one does not like regular raisins, so recently I bought some golden raisin to see if she would like them better. And, she does. So this variation is a hit with her.

While making up my grocery list a couple of weeks ago, my oldest suggested the trail mix pictured on the right. It is equal parts dried cherries, raw almonds, and white chocolate chips. This one I love! And both of my girls are thrilled when I put it in their lunch bags. 

As a side note, the jars that I store these trail mixes in are up-cycled. The local honey that I purchase comes in them and they use a regular mouth canning lid making them perfect for many different things in my kitchen.

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Kielbasa and Rice

Dinner time is completely different at our house now that it is just me and the kids. We eat a lot more Pizza, Tacos, and BBQ Turkey Burgers (my kids prefer these over beef burgers). And, honestly I have grown tired of these dinners. But this week I dug out my recipe for Kielbasa and Rice hoping that the kids would like it for something different. It had been years since I had made it, so none of them remembered it. But, they were pleased with it; and, I was happy to serve something different. I think I need to dust off some of my other old recipes and see what else they might like.

Kielbasa and Rice

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. kielbasa or polish sausage, sliced
2-14oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp garlic powder
3 drops hot sauce
1 cup brown rice
1 cup water

In a large skillet sauté kielbasa in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a full boil on high heat. Cover, and reduce temperature. Simmer for 40 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir and serve.

Farm Stands, Lettuce, and Fresh Eggs

We are just now seeing a limited amount of fresh, local produce become available here in North Carolina. I drove by a farm stand on Monday that had a sign saying that they now had strawberries. And, if it hadn't been raining cats and dogs, I probably would have stopped. Over the weekend though, my next door neighbor began delivering fresh lettuce from her backyard. How much more local can it get? She grows enough every year to share with the neighborhood and I'm thrilled to have received not one, but two heads of lettuce. 

I have also discovered that one of the families at my church has chickens. And, they are glad to share their eggs, free of charge! The only thing that they ask is for you to bring your own cartons. I am so pleased with this, for many years I received fresh eggs from a local farmer who was glad to supply our family with eggs whenever he had an overabundance. It has been a long time since I have had fresh eggs to serve and the difference in quality is amazing.

Are you starting to see local produce in your area?

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home's Penny Pinching Party.

Homemade Baking Mix Biscuits

Yesterday my little one was sick. We had planned to attend a birthday party, but we had to cancel. My older two were disappointed. Plus, it was raining, which meant that they were not able to go outside to play. No one was happy. But, mom to the rescue! As my little one began to feel better in the afternoon, we made a trip to the dollar store and everyone was able to pick something. And later we watched a movie from the library.

As I began to think about dinner, I knew that I just might have a revolt on my hands if I didn't do something that they loved. After all they missed out on pizza, cake, and ice cream at the party. So, I asked them what they would like. The answer was Chicken Caesar Salad. I was a bit surprised. But, I had all of the ingredients on hand, so that's what we had. Usually I like to serve some kind of bread when we have a main dish salad. I remembered that I had one lonely cup of my Homemade Baking Mix in the freezer, so I made biscuits. Not exactly kids party food, but everyone was pleased.

Homemade Baking Mix Biscuits

1 cup baking mix
1 ½ tsp. sugar
1/3 cup milk

Measure all ingredients into a bowl and stir lightly until combined. Scoop onto a baking pan, flatten slightly. Bake at 400º for 12-15 minutes. Yield 7 small biscuits.

This post has been linked to Mop It Up Monday.

The Skinny - A Book Review

For some reason, I really enjoy self-help books of all kinds. I love the idea that small changes can offer dramatic results. So, it comes as no surprise that I was attracted to The Skinny when I saw it on the shelf at the library.

The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever
Written by Melissa Clark and Robin Aronson

The premise of The Skinny is that with some simple hints and tips a girl has the power to maintain her weight, thus allowing her to permanently fit into her little black dress. The authors have been living The Skinny lifestyle for many years and have proven that you can eat what you love and still maintain your weight. No need for counting calories or avoiding entire groups of foods is necessary; just wise choices, moderation, and lots of fruits and veggies.

This book reminded me of the principles found in the book French Women Don't Get Fat, which I reviewed for you about a year ago. And, the light hearted writing is enjoyable and often humorous. Plus, the second half of the book is all recipes, which makes this book even more helpful. So, if you are interested in a little assistance in shedding some pounds without all of the hype and drastic measures that fad diets offer, this is the book for you.