Red Velvet-Berry Cobbler was in the Lazy Day Cobbler section
in last year’s July issue of Southern Living Magazine.
I was too lazy to cobble one together last year,
It was definitely on my list of summertime favorites
to make this year, so with Memorial Day
and the kick off to summer on the horizon,
I cobbled one together!
Quick, oh so good, and the star of your Memorial Day or July 4th celebration with its red, white, and blue if you top it with Vanilla or Cream Cheese Ice Cream!
Start with 6 cups of fresh berries~
whatever ratio you prefer.
Toss the berries with a mixture 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
Spoon into a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish.
Mix your batter and pour over your berries.
Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes and let stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
6 cups assorted fresh berries (I used mainly blackberries, blueberries, and 1 cup of raspberries)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red liquid food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Toss berries with cornstarch mixture, and spoon into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in red food coloring and vanilla until blended.
Combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir together buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. (Mixture will bubble.)
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.
Spoon batter over berry mixture.
Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake topping comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.
You can find a printable recipe from Southern Living, here.
However you celebrate Memorial Day,
remember our military men and women
who protect and serve us!
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We were fortunate to visit
Puerto Rico in April and
enjoy some fun in the sun.
we visited Old San Juan.
Soaking in some of
the colorful scenery~
Even the cobblestone
pavers were colorful!
Their shiny blue-gray hue developed over time as a result of weather, traffic and from their iron slag content, originating from ballasts of 16th century Spanish ships.
And also enjoyed some local flavors
including plantains.
And took in a little history while
visiting an old Spanish fort~
Castillo San Felipe del Morro or El Morro sits atop a high promontory overlooking the entrance to San Juan Bay is and one of the largest fortifications built by the Spain in the Caribbean.
The construction of which began in 1539 and the result of the efforts of Spanish engineers over a period of more than 250 years.
We enjoyed Agua Fresca during our visit, translation = fresh water~ flavored with an infusion and combination of fruit and/or herbs.
Agua Fresca sounds so much more
exotic & refreshing than fresh water :)
In search recipes for Agua Fresca, most of what I came across is more of a procedure than a recipe, with the fruit pureed, then strained to remove the pulp. What we enjoyed daily at our hotel in Puerto Rico was water with a simple infusion of sliced fruit~ how easy and refreshing!
The sky’s the limit with Agua Fresca using your favorite combination of fruits and herbs and enjoying what’s in season!
Perfect and thirst-quenching for summer weather, outdoor activities and picnics~
Strawberries are in season~
I decided to add some lime and mint flavor.
Muddle or bruise your mint leaves
with a spoon to release the flavor~
Cut your berries and limes and add ice and water.
Add some agave nectar or sweetener of choice to taste.
Refrigerate several hours to allow the
flavors of the fruit to steep and infuse the water.
The longer it infuses, the prettier the color!
Experiment with your flavors. . .
Watermelon & Rosemary or Mint, Raspberry & Lemon or Lime, Cantaloupe or Honeydew Melon & Basil, All Citrus, or Cucumber, Lime & Mint!
If you prefer, throw your fruit in the blender and then strain to remove the solids. You could also make a simple syrup and add some herbs to impart some subtle additional flavor.
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Strawberry Bruschetta is a favorite appetizer for us when strawberries are in season! While local berries are a little late with the cold March temperatures, there have been a surplus of beautiful California berries in the store lately.
A fresh medley of strawberries, grape tomatoes, basil, and nectarine over goat cheese, this Southern Living recipe is a winner & crowd pleaser!
Since nectarines aren’t in season, I used a little diced canned peach or you could use apricot. I’ve made this recipe with and without the addition of the nectarine, but I like the additional sweetness along with color it adds.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 nectarine, diced (I used peach)
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1 shallot, minced (I used half a shallot)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (12-oz.) French bread baguette
1 (10.5-oz.) goat cheese log, softened
Preparation
Stir together strawberries, nectarine, grape tomatoes, basil*, minced shallot, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, freshly ground pepper, and salt.
* I added the basil on top of the prepared slices rather than mixing in with the ingredients.
Slice your baguette and toast in oven until golden or I like to use a panini press. Slather the toasted side of bread with softened goat cheese and top with strawberry mixture.
It’s berrylicious with an additional squeeze of Balsamic Glaze on top :)
You can find a printable version of this recipe courtesy of Southern Living here.
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I had the good fortune to travel with my husband to Vancouver, British Columbia for a business conference a year ago last May~ our first trip enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and a chance to visit our neighbors to the north in Canada.
The Butchart Gardens in Victoria were on the “not-to-be-missed” list. If you have a chance to visit, I highly recommend it~ photos don’t begin to do it justice!
I came home with some seeds, tea, and serious garden envy with hopes to return for a future visit to experience the gardens in all their glory in the summer or fall!
This spring I’m enjoying some tea, getting my flower fix from some favorite books with my tea tin as a vase, sprouting azaleas.
I’m reminiscing and revisiting the spring beauty of The Butchart Gardens.
If you’d like to tip toe through the tulips and see more photos along with more than 300,000 spring bulbs, you can visit here.
I found pastel chocolate flower cups at World Market, ($6.99 for 6 ) ready to bloom with your favorite filling for quick and easy dessert or a tea time treat!
I filled my flower cups with a mixture of lemon curd & light cream cheese, added strawberries, and topped them with an edible (pesticide and chemical free) viola.
You could also fill the chocolate cups with flavored whipped cream and fruit or fill with low-cal mousse like Kitty did with hers from Kitty’s Kozy Kitchen.
Plates/ 222 Fifth Ananda, HomeGoods
Teapot & Cups/ Gracie China, HomeGoods
Napkins & Cake plate/HomeGoods
Hope you’re a enjoying a beautiful spring!
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Cooking with Flowers is a delicious mix of food and flowers and possibly the most beautiful cookbook I have ever seen!
It makes me want to plant Roses, Tulips, Hollyhocks, Daylilies, Dianthus and it forever changed my opinion on Dandelions~ I’ll never curse one again :)
When I first saw this cookbook on Jain’s beautiful blog, my pulse quickened and my heart skipped a beat~ you’ll want to take the time to stop and taste the roses in Jain’s garden!
Feast your eyes
and your taste buds. . .
“Here are more than 100 recipes that will bring beautiful flower-filled dishes to your kitchen table! This easy-to-use cookbook is brimming with scrumptious botanical treats, from sweet violet cupcakes, pansy petal pancakes, daylily cheesecake, and rosemary flower margaritas to savory sunflower chickpea salad, chive blossom vinaigrette, herb flower pesto, and mango orchid sticky rice.”
“Alongside every recipe are tips and tricks for finding, cleaning, and preparing edible blossoms. You’ll also learn how to infuse vinegars, vodkas, sugars, frostings, jellies and jams, ice creams, and more with the color and flavor of your favorite flowers. Fresh from the farmers’ market or plucked from your very own garden, a world of delectable flowers awaits!”
Since my pansies and violas I planted in the fall will soon be languishing in the heat and will need to be replaced with summer annuals in a couple of weeks, I thought I would try flower syrup. As with any edible flower, only use pansies or violas that are pesticide and chemical free.
Pick your flowers in the morning when they are fresh, avoiding older bruised blooms. Rinse gently to “debug” them and pat dry. Remove each pansy or viola from its sepals (green base). If your pansy/viola petals separate, it won’t matter for the syrup.
For pansy/viola syrup:
2 – 3 cups fresh or dried flower blossoms (I used 2 cups)
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 to 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, optional ( I didn’t use but will next time)
Makes 2 cups
Place blossoms in a medium bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them stand for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours (mine steeped for 3 hours). In a saucepan over medium heat, bring flower water, sugar and fruit if using, to a simmer. Cook for 4 minutes, then remove from heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a glass container. Discard solids and refrigerate up to a month.
Infused with the color of the pansies, this finishing syrup is a light lavender color, thinner and easier to pour than a simple syrup, and can also be used over ice cream. The flavor was slightly sweet and herbally, next time I’ll add berries for a little fruit flavor.
I was inspired to make some Pansy Petal Pancakes,
or actually crepes!
There is a crepe recipe included in the cookbook, but I used my go to recipe~ Alton Brown’s, available from Food Network and added a teaspoon of vanilla to the crepe batter.
Pour 1/4 cup of your crepe batter in the middle of your hot skillet and swirl to distribute the batter quickly and evenly. After about 1 minute, add your violas or pansies to the crepe. I used my finger to press the petals down gently into the crepe until they flattened from heat from the pan. When the petals are flat, flip crepe and cook another 30 seconds or so.
My first few crepes were a hot mess until I figured out how long to wait to place the flowers and flip the crepes, so experiment and save your prettier violas after you get the hang of your crepes.
You can make these crepes and stack them after they are cooled between sheets of parchment or wax paper and store in a sealable plastic bag in the fridge for several days. Reheat your crepe in the microwave and add your filling.
My filling was a mixture of lemon curd and light cream cheese. You could fill your crepes with your favorite jam, fruit, whipped cream or nutella. The violas don’t add a distinctive flavor to the crepe especially with the filling, but what a pretty crepe to wake up to or enjoy for brunch~ especially for Mother’s Day!
“Sweet violets, spicy orchids, savory sunflowers- who knew flowers were so delicious?”
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The flavor of margarita in a shortbread-style cookie
and a perfect light note to end
your Cinco de Mayo celebration on!
Fresh lime zest and a sprinkling of sea salt and turbinado sugar make for a sweet and tart combination and a guaranteed fiesta in every bite!
I came by this recipe in Cooking Light~ the actual recipe is for Margarita Ice Cream Sandwiches and a tasty way to cool down after consuming all those fiery peppers or jalapeños :)
You can make your cookie dough in advance, wrapping in plastic wrap and chilling in the fridge until ready to bake.
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
5 teaspoons grated lime rind, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
11.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 cups vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, softened
2 cups lime sherbet, softened
Preparation
Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg, 1 tablespoon lime rind, and lime juice; beat 2 minutes or until well combined.
Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon table salt; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat just until combined.
Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6-inch log. Wrap logs individually in plastic wrap; chill 3 hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut each log into 16 (about 1/3-inch-thick) slices, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cookies evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons lime rind, turbinado sugar, and sea salt. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes on pans on a wire rack. Remove from baking sheets, and cool completely on wire rack.
Place softened vanilla ice cream and sherbet in a medium bowl; lightly fold and swirl together. Scoop 1/4 cup ice cream mixture onto bottom of one cookie, and top with one cookie. Cover each sandwich with plastic wrap; freeze 4 hours or until firm.
You can find a printable version of this recipe courtesy of Cooking Light, here.
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Cinco de Mayo is a week away and no
celebration is complete without
some chips & salsa or guacamole!
These mini layered taco dips are quick & easy to assemble~ an individual or party serving version of Seven Layer Fiesta Dip from McCormick.
My set of mini dessert glasses from Bed, Bath & Beyond were ideal to serve these layered dips for our friend Carolyn’s In the Pink party last summer, but you can just as easily use plastic cups for easy clean up for a crowd.
Layers are easily assembled~ refried beans, a package of taco seasoning, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and cheddar cheese, topped with black olives and green onions. I used salsa instead of tomatoes and mixed the taco seasoning with the refried beans instead of the sour cream but you adjust the layers to your liking.
These mini glasses are just shy of 3 ounces so they’re portion control bites but any small cups would work.
And no Cinco de Mayo celebration is complete
without a cerveza or margarita!
a lime-based mixer that spices things up~
A little tart and not too sweet
with hints of jalapeño. . .
Not too caliente :)
Olé!
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We had the good fortune to visit Puerto Rico recently
and enjoy a little barefoot and boat time
while we were there.
A day of fun in the sun
on a catamaran sail~
A little refreshment and fruit
after an afternoon on the beach~
A pair of kiwifruit mice
were hiding in plain sight
garnishing the tray~
If the idea of a mouse among your grapes and melon
doesn’t make you run screaming :)
here’s a quick step-by-step how-to. . .
Cut the kiwi horizontally keeping the end
intact that will be the nose~
Use a knife to cut out small ovals,
(mine where a little bigger than I intended)
to make the eye areas.
You can trim the ovals with kitchen shears
to make them more ear-like in shape.
Cut a slit in the kiwi to place the ears.
Add seeds for the eyes~ watermelon seeds would
be ideal, since I didn’t have watermelon,
I used apple seeds.
More of a fuzzy & friendly
kiwifruit critter than a mouse :)
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April 23rd is National Picnic Day and kicks off
the season to pack a basket,
grab a blanket or quilt and head outdoors!
I’ve packed a post with some picnics, portable salads, and menu ideas from the archives. . .
Click on the links to revisit the posts and for a taste :)
Layered Cornbread-and-Turkey Salad and
Peach-and-Blueberry Parfait
Blackberry, Basil
and Mozzarella Skewers
Lemon Basil Shrimp Boats and
Watermelon, Pecan, and Gorgonzola Salad
Some light reading and tale of dueling picnic baskets~
Goat Cheese Tarts
Salads in a Jar with a Side of Sparklers
and Patriotic Berry Trifles
Marinated Shrimp
with a Watermelon & Feta Flag
and BBQ Sundae in a Jar
Happy Picnicking~
Wishing you delicious picnic weather!
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Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies were in the February issue of Southern Living Magazine.
The secret to these decadent cookies is an extra bar of chocolate that is substituted for half the butter in the recipe!
I also used Southern Living’s test kitchen’s tip~ press some chocolate chunks into the cookies while they are warm from the oven for more chocolaty melted goodness!
Ingredients
3/4 cup uncooked regular oats
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bars, coarsely chopped and divided (I used Ghirardelli )
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Bake oats in a 9-inch pie plate 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Process oats in a blender or food processor 1 minute or until finely ground.
Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating just until blended.
Stir together flour, soda, salt, baking powder, and ground oats in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended after each addition. Fold in 2 1/4 cups chopped chocolate (about 2 bars) just until combined. Cover dough, and chill 8 to 12 hours
Preheat oven to 350°. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown; press remaining chocolate into cookies. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks; cool completely (about 15 minutes).
Makes about 2 dozen cookies (I got 32).
These are definitely an indulgence cookie recipe since you’re using 3 chocolate bars, but oh so worth the splurge!
You can find a printable recipe from Southern Living, here.
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